Childcare benefits for over 1 million children

Parents who meet the conditions and use formal childcare can get part of the costs reimbursed through the childcare allowance. This refers to formal childcare in a childcare centre or by a registered childminder (gastouder). The data comes from the Tax and Customs Administration.
Although the number of 0 to 11-year-old children has declined in recent years, the number of children with childcare allowance has been rising since 2015. In the period 2015-2018, the growth in day care was mainly due to the transformation of preschool facilities into childcare facilities. During this period, the number of 0 to 3-year-olds in day care increased by over 100 thousand. From 2019, growth in the number of children in day care levelled off.

Less care provided by childminders

Allowances for over 668 thousand parents

72 percent of childcare costs are reimbursed

When the childcare allowance was introduced, the premise was that the government, employers and parents would each pay a third of the cost of childcare. In 2021, parents paid on average almost 2,100 euros on an annual basis, which is 28 percent of declarable childcare costs. This was 27 percent in the previous year.

Often various forms of care used

Parents receive childcare allowance only for the use of formal childcare. However, in addition to formal childcare, parents may choose other forms of childcare in order to combine childcare with work, such as care by the partner or the grandparents.
Figures from the Labour Force Survey show that in 2021, 6 percent of households with children aged 12 or younger and working parents reported using formal childcare exclusively. For 16 percent, the care of the children at times when one was working lay solely with the partner. The remaining households used other forms of care or a combination of formal care with other forms. In 16 percent of households, partner care was supplemented by unpaid caregivers as well as formal childcare. Partner care is also relatively often combined with either formal childcare or unpaid caregivers.