How do the childcare facilities allocate the places?

Legal groups with priority

Who gets priority in the childcare facility based on income?

You can get priority if you are looking for childcare:

• to work
• to follow professional training
• to folow an integration programme
• to follow an intensive pathway to work
• to search for work

Please note! You will only get priority if you spend sufficient time on the activity. Working or following training, for example, you have to do 4/5ths. For civic integration, you have to do Dutch lessons and social orientation at the same time to get priority.

Are there two parents in the family? Then the average of the activities of both parents counts.

In addition to these groups, there is priority for:

• Siblings who are in the childcare facility together
• Children in foster care

The childcare facility may also give 10% of the places to other families. 

On the website of Kind en Gezin you can read more about the groups that have priority according to the law.

Who gets priority in the childcare facility that receives additional grants?

• Siblings who are in the childcare facility together
• People who are going to work
• People who are looking for a job
• People who are in training
• People with a low level of education
• People who do not have a higher education degree
• A foreign degree that is not recognized in Belgium also counts as a low education level
• Single parents
• Families with a low income
• Foster parents
• Families with health problems
• Children who need special care

On the website of Kind en Gezin you can read more about the groups that have priority according to the law.

Do you speak enough Dutch?

Then your child can be given priority. This is possible for a maximum of 55% of the children.

Why do some people get priority?

A good childcare facility is important for all children. Children from vulnerable families do not often come to the childcare facility. The childcare facility can make a big difference for these children.

Please note! There are not that many places in the childcare facilities. So it is not certain that you will find a place for your child, even though you have priority.

Groups that the childcare facility itself gives priority to

The childcare facility itself may also choose who gets priority. For example:

• Children of employees from the childcare facility
• Siblings of children who used to come to the childcare facility
• Families from the neighbourhood
• Families from the town

Would you like to know which groups a childcare facility gives priority to? Click on the information sheet of the childcare facility.

Please note! There are not that many places in the childcare facilities. It is therefore not certain that you will find a place for your child, even if you have priority.

What else does the childcare facility look at?

When allocating free places, the childcare facility looks at priority groups.

The childcare facility also looks at:

• The care plan
• The start date
• The age of your child

Care plan

Sometimes several children can use one place in the childcare facility. These children then come to the childcare facility part-time. So sometimes a part-time place becomes available.

Families looking for a full-time place cannot use a part-time place.

Start date

The childcare facility fills as many free places as possible. Therefore, the childcare facility gives the free places to families who can start when the place is free.

For example: a place is free starting in September. You do not want to start with the childcare facility until December? Then the childcare facility will not give the place to you.

Age of the child

In the childcare facility the children are in a group. Usually this is a group with children of the same age. Babies and toddlers are often in separate groups. A baby cannot be placed with the toddlers.

Tip: Can you start at an earlier or later date? Can you start with another care plan? Be sure to write this in your application. This way the childcare facility can take this it into account.

How important is the date of your application?

The childcare facility allocates most places 7 months before the start date. So preferably make your application more than 7 months before the start. That way you have the best chance of getting a place.

You can also get a place for an earlier start. But then you have less chance of getting a place. Sometimes the childcare facility does keep places available for urgent applications.

The childcare facility does not look at the exact day you applied. Waiting longer for a place does not mean you have more priority.

When do you receive an answer from the childcare facility?

• The childcare facility sends its response 7 months before the requested start date.
• Are you applying to start sooner than 7 months? Then you will receive an answer the month after the request.
• You will receive an answer from each childcare facility at about the same time.
• Is the answer positive? Then you will receive a proposal.
• Is the answer negative? Then there is no place for your child.

Are you looking for childcare in 5 months or even sooner? Then every childcare facility on our website will see your application. So you can get a proposal from a childcare facility that you did not choose yourself.

The number of places is limited

Not every family seeking childcare finds a place.

What can you do yourself?

• It is best to apply more than 7 months before you want to start.
• Can you pay for a childcare facility without an income rate?
  • Then check out the full list of childcare facilities with no income rate on the Kind en Gezin website.
  • Contact the childcare facility to request a place.
• Is French-speaking childcare also possible? Then check out the website of l'Office de la Naissance et de l'Enfance (ONE).
• Do you live outside the Brussels Capital Region? Also search for a childcare facility in your town.
  • Check the website of Kind en Gezin for all childcare facilities in Flanders.
  • Take a look at the website of ONE for all childcare facilities in Wallonia.