Nursery tales: Nurseries in Brussels

You sometimes hear that in order to get a place in a crèche, you need to book before you conceive. It’s not quite that bad, fortunately, but finding appropriate childcare for kids up to two-and-a-half can indeed be tricky.

What used to be the job of grandparents or stay-at-home mums is increasingly falling to the French-speaking Office de la Naissance et de l’Enfant (ONE) and its Flemish counterpart, Kind en Gezin. These two bodies are attached to the language communities and run large nurseries that cater for up to 50 children. They also supervise smaller, private crèches and a few private child-minders who look after a handful of children in their homes, often alongside their own. In Brussels, these three systems together accommodate about a quarter of children under three. It’s hardly enough – especially considering the city’s galloping birth rate.

Demand is highest for the large subsidised nurseries, where costs are linked to the parents’ income and range from approximately €2 to €31 per day. Part of that amount is tax-deductible, as in private crèches, which usually start at about €500 a month. Note that in Brussels, most of these crèches,even those controlled by Kind en Gezin, are French-speaking. There are also a few Dutch-speaking ones, while a handful are bilingual. The European institutions, as well as a small number of companies, run daycare facilities for members of staff, but these too tend to be massively oversubscribed.

Private nannies?

How about private nannies and au pairs? These are also options, although be aware that au pairs are only legally allowed to work 20 hours a week and therefore offer no alternative to full-time childcare. As for nannies, hiring one on a legal contract can work out quite expensive. There is also more risk involved, as these unofficial childminders are often untrained and unsupervised. Crèches, on the other hand, are staffed with professionals and have to meet certain standards. Belgian crèches, when you do make it to the end of their sometimes ridiculously long waiting lists, are much more than places where you park your child for the day, but small communities where kids can blossom through appropriate care and activities, from psychomotor education to musical workshops to elaborate nap-time rituals. A growing number have switched to organic food and reusable nappies.

Cheer up!

Belgium, on the whole, scores pretty high on the childcare front. Very high, even, if we are to believe a recent survey conducted by HSBC of 4,100 people living temporarily abroad in 100 countries, which concluded that Belgium was the best country in which to bring up children. More specifically, Belgian childcare and its educational level scored extremely well: more than six expats out of 10 thought the cost and general quality of childcare were better than in their home country.

Useful addresses

Tips and addresses can be obtained from branches of ONE and Kind en Gezin and from your commune. Addresses can also be found in the Yellow Pages

ONE; 02.542.12.11; www.one.be (French-speaking)

Kind en Gezin; 02.513.23.33; www.kindengezin.be (Dutch-speaking)

Observatoire de l'enfant; 02.800.84.86; www.grandirabruxelles.be (French-speaking)