New Flemish measures to restore confidence in childcare

In recent weeks, several harrowing stories have surfaced about abuses in Flemish daycare centres. For example, there was 't Sloeberhuisje in Mariakerke, where a baby died after being mistreated. Afterwards, the story emerged of a woman who was allowed to continue running a nursery in Schoten after she had been convicted of the abuse of small children.

Flemish Minister of Welfare Wouter Beke (CD&V) came under fire because of the incidents. He had already announced an audit of the inspection and enforcement and is now coming up with an additional package of measures.

An external Supervisory Committee chaired by Professor Liesbeth Stevens will be installed to examine decisions taken and "help assess difficult cases". Leo Van Loo, delegated administrator of the agency Uitbetaling Groeipakket, is appointed as commissioner. He will have to scrutinise and reorganise the enforcement procedures and will also be responsible for the childcare action plan. This plan must, among other things, tighten the licensing conditions for childcare initiatives, improve the collaboration and improve transparency. Therefore the inspection reports of the childcare initiatives will be actively made public by the summer. By then, all complaints from the past five years must have been collected. Furthermore, parents and local councils must be informed as quickly as possible when a childcare location is suspended or closed down. Parents must also be informed more quickly in the event of problems or complaints about a childcare initiative and a plan for crisis interventions must be made.

"The Supervisory Committee, the assignment holder and all the measures we take will ensure that we can restore people's confidence in our childcare," states Beke, who reiterates that he will provide his "full cooperation" to the investigating committee.