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Everyone should be able to contribute to society Zo also has a day-care centre in the Tweede Kamer (the House of Representatives of the Dutch Parliament), Zo in de Kleine Kamer (‘Zo in the little room’). As president of the Tweede Kamer, Gerdi Verbeet was able to witness the arrival of Zo in de Kleine Kamer at first hand. An important development in her opinion. ‘Young parents should also be able to be members of parliament.’ This is not the first time you have been to our day-care centre. Why is this place so important to you? ‘I witnessed the arrival of the centre first hand. At that time there had been quite a lot of debate about the composition of parliament. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to have a mix of young and old, men and women in the Tweede Kamer. Young parents should also be able to be a members of parliament. This is why it is so important to have childcare nearby. It took quite a lot of effort, but I think it is a wonderful centre.’ What arrangements did you make for the care of your children? When we were little, my grandparents looked after us, while my mother went to work full time. And I did exactly the same. My mother had just retired around the time my children were Childcare reduces pressure on parents Han Polman, mayor of Bergen op Zoom and Arjen van der Weegen, alderman in that municipality, both agree that, in our changing society, childcare is becoming more and more important. The mayor even thinks there would be a market for 24/7 day care and the alderman strongly believes in tailor-made policies for the youth. Neither of them doubt the importance of childcare. ‘Children benefit tremendously from attending day care,’ says Van der Weegen. ‘My nine-year-old daughter is still in contact with one of her friends at day care, even now when they are not in the same school and no longer live in the same neighbourhood. Already, several studies have shown that childcare benefits a child’s development, both socially and educationally.’ Mayor Polman noticed that same development with his children, now 10, 12, 14 and 16 years old, when they attended day care and after-school care. ‘I remember that during Road Safety they were taught about little, so she looked after them, together with my in-laws. When the children were little, I combined being a mother with university and later on with my job. They never went to day care, but as I thought it important for them to learn how to play with other children, I did send them to a playgroup.’ How do you feel about the respective responsibilities of the childcare and the parents? ‘These two worlds should be in line with each other, they should match. Parents should be closely involved with their child’s day-care centre and school. And it is important that the teachers at the day-care centre inform the parents about their child’s day. Some parents would prefer to follow their child’s every move on camera, something I do not agree with. However, it is important to know if your child has had a good day, or if he or she cried a lot and has or has not eaten properly.’ Did you ever come across children from less privileged homes during your years in education? ‘I have worked as a teacher in a neighbourhood that would nowadays be regarded as a underprivileged area. Some families did not have enough money to do laundry or buy new clothes and as a result some children did not always smell too clean. The chances of a child being excluded because of that are high. The same goes for children who cannot come along on school trips. I would feel really bad if school trips became something only for children with parents who can afford them.’ What would you wish for the children who find themselves in these situations? ‘Childhood is when you should experience as many different things as possible In order to find out where your interests lie and what your talents are. I grew up during a time when all children living in the municipality of Amsterdam could visit museums and have music lessons, virtually free of charge. Swimming lessons were also available to all children. I understand that making swimming lessons compulsory is difficult nowadays, as about 75% of the children in a class already know how to swim. But I do hope that children in primary and secondary school do not end up with a disadvantage that cannot be overcome at a later stage.’ traffic rules and how to cross the street safely. We thought this was a wonderful addition to their upbringing at home.’ Efficient and sustainable Unfortunately, the number of children attending day care is decreasing, but the mayor still sees some opportunities: ‘I think childcare needs to step away from its traditional, more isolated role and should find its place in the chain of youth organisations. By having childcare work together with, for instance, partners in the area of sport and culture, a new concept that centres around children will evolve. An additional advantage of this collaboration will be the more efficient and sustainable way in which we make use of the available means.’ Career Despite these opportunities, the alderman does worry about the proposed cuts in childcare. ‘Childcare should be just as natural as bringing your child to school or taking him to swimming lessons,’ he says. He feels that the new plans do not take working parents into account as much as they should. Mayor Polman fully agrees that childcare is a necessity for any working parent. ‘Society is changing, we need more people working to keep the economy going and to meet the future employment deficits. Both men and women should be given the opportunity to advance their careers. And childcare plays a crucial role in this. Not just as a place to drop off your child, but to reduce the pressure on parents so that they have all the opportunity they need At the time of this interview at the Zo centre in the Tweede Kamer, Gerdi Verbeet was still President. Which role could society play in preventing this? ‘It would be wonderful if we could attempt to find a proper middle course, where people who are better off feel responsible for those in society who, for whatever reason, are not able to offer their children enough opportunities. We all have this responsibility. It would help if it was the norm to pay a little extra for a school trip, so that all children could go along, as the whole group benefits from undertaking and exploring things together. Giving to charity is another good example of helping out. One of the best things about a charity like Stichting Leergeld is that the money goes directly to a club or organisation, so that the money cannot be used to pay off the parents’ debts. One final question, what are your plans for the future? ‘I hope I will be able to continue to engage in matters that are important to me. Involving people with democracy for instance, and working towards emancipation. In my opinion, everyone should be able to contribute to our society.’ GERDI VERBEET was working in education when in 1994 she decided to go into politics. In 2001 she became a member of the Tweede Kamer and in 2006 she was elected its President. In September 2012 her presidency came to an end. As of 1 November she is the president of the supervisory board of Stichting Waarborgfonds Kinderopvang (‘Childcare Guarantee Fund’). to continue developing. In our municipality we try to work with rotas as much as possible, thus creating a flexible employment market. The childcare sector could respond to this by offering 24/7 childcare.’ Tailor-made youth policies When it comes to the future, alderman Van der Weegen sees an important role for his municipality in supporting childcare as a part of the chain of youth organisations. ‘For instance through so-called “combination officers”, officials whose job it is to integrate different sectors such as education and sport or education and culture. Or by offering tailormade solutions like pre-school and early school education. I strongly believe we can abandon the generic municipal policy and work towards tailor-made youth policies as much as possible.’
Enthusiastic children, pleased parents Name: Barry van Zomeren, father of Bart (6) Location: Zo op de Schans, Halsteren Occupation: Logistic Engineer at Grass Valley Nederland BV Name: Liesbeth Kooloos, mother of Florine (9 months) Location: Zo in de Kleine Kamer, The Hague Occupation: Employee Planning and Control at the Tweede Kamer (House of Representatives of the Dutch government) Name: Joris Volker, father of Luka (10) and Jelle (7) Location: Zo op het Groene Hart, Halsteren Occupation: Commercial Manager Cartoche Fashion/Van der Steen Lederwaren Name: Jaklien de Jong, mother of Olivier (4) and Magali (2.5) Location: Zo aan de 2e Sweelinckstraat, The Hague Occupation: Interim Director of Personnel and Organisation Department at one of the ministries Hoveniersbedrijf NUYTEN Voor: - aanleg tuinen - onderhoud van tuinen - (ook jaar abonnementen) - sierbestratingen - boomverzorging Hoveniersbedrijf NUYTEN Moestraatsebaan 194 4614 PM Bergen op Zoom T 0164 - 23 56 15 E: info@hoveniersbedrijfnuyten.nl www.hoveniersbedrijfnuyten.nl The choice of a childcare centre is important, both for children and parents. Four parents talk about their reasons for choosing Zo Kinderopvang & BSO, their expectations and experiences. Choosing Zo Interacting with other children seems to be one of the most important reasons for these parents’ choice of childcare. ‘This is a good way for our daughter to get used to other children and to other people taking care of her,’ Liesbeth says. She chose Zo because of its location and the good things she had heard about it. ‘This centre is literally at work, which is very convenient. I also had some positive recommendations from my colleagues.’ Jaklien has experienced the advantages of a day-care centre over a babysitter at home. ‘I’ve heard friends complain about the babysitter calling in the morning to say she is ill. They then have to arrange for an alternative at very short notice. I’m very happy I do not have to worry about that.’ Taking her children to their grandparents was not an option for her as they live too far away. Barry says that he expressly chose not to involve the grandparents. ‘The grandparents’ only role should be to spoil Bart. And yes, childcare comes at a price, but in return your child gets wonderful opportunities to develop.’ Expectations When you bring your children to a childcare centre your expectations are high. For parents it is of the utmost importance that it is safe, professional and offers stability. ‘Teachers who know what they are doing and what sort of attention a child needs, is what I expect from a childcare centre,’ Joris explains. Safety is very important to him as well. Liesbeth agrees, and in her opinion the term safety covers many things. ‘An unchanging group of teachers is also part of a safe environment, too many changes are not good. When one of the permanent teachers got another job, it took Florine quite a while to adjust. We have noticed she is calmer again, now that there is a new permanent teacher.’ Barry is very happy about the ‘familiar faces’ at his child’s group. ‘It offers clarity and structure.’ Enthusiastic children Maybe even more important than the parents’ expectations, are the children’s experiences. Jaklien can see that her children look forward to going to Zo. ‘Even on the few occasions when saying goodbye in the morning was a bit hard, Magali would always be beaming with joy when we picked her up at the end of the day. And Olivier even missed his teacher when he went on holiday. As a mother it is wonderful to see that your child feels so safe with a teacher that a strong bond develops between them.’ Joris has also noticed that his children enjoy being at the Verkaart Haaglanden De Lierseweg 7-9 2291 PD Wateringen tel 070-3091313 fax 070-3295204 Verkaart Midden Noord Noordersluisweg 2 8243 PR Lelystad tel 0320-222599 fax 0320-222521 childcare centre. ‘Children will always tell you straightaway if they do not like something, but whenever they talk about Zo they sound happy and they enjoy going there.’ Staying informed Liesbeth’s daughter is too small to talk about her experiences, but still she is kept well informed about her child’s day at the centre. ‘The centre keeps notes in Florine’s personal notebook on what happens during the day and we both talk to the teachers about her day when we pick her up.’ Barry fully agrees that he is well informed about his child’s daily adventures. ‘I try to pick up Bart a bit earlier at the day-care centre nowadays. More often than not they are still playing outside or busy with an activity indoors. This gives me the opportunity both to see what he is doing and to talk about his day with his teacher.’ ‘Children will always tell you straightaway if they do not like something, but whenever they talk about Zo they sound happy and they enjoy going there’ Added value All parents agree that Zo Kinderopvang & BSO has an added value for the children and themselves. Jaklien: ‘Absolutely! Children are socially active at a young age and undertake all sorts of things with their peers. If I was not working, I would never be able to offer such a wide variety of activities to my child.’ Verkaart is niet zo maar een installatiebedrijf. Wij bestaan dankzij hard werken, ervaring, perfecte apparatuur en uitgekiende techniek. Vestigingen 070-30 91 313 | info@verkaart.nl | www.verkaart.nl Verkaart Rijnmond Zeemanstraat 15 2991 XR Barendrecht tel 010-2921744 fax 010-2921740
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