Dutch childcare costs in 2027: the €11.60 cap, the gap with real prices, types of care and waiting lists

Parents who move to the Netherlands with young children tend to get two surprises. The first is the invoice from the daycare centre, which can easily top €1,000 a month. The second, a few weeks later, is a payment from the tax authority that covers most of it. Dutch childcare runs on two numbers: the hourly rate the provider sets, and the maximum hourly rate the government is willing to subsidise.

On 19 October 2026, NL Times reported that parents will pay more for childcare next year because hourly rates are outpacing the government allowance. A survey of about 400 childcare organisations by the parents' association BOinK found an average daycare rate of €11.82 an hour, 22 cents above the €11.60 cap the government will use in 2027.

Twenty-two cents sounds trivial. Spread over 130 hours a month for three days a week, it comes to almost €30 a month that no allowance will cover. This guide starts from the NL Times article, compares coverage from all eight major outlets for internationals, and checks the figures against the official gazette (Staatsblad), the government (Rijksoverheid), the tax authority (Belastingdienst) and Statistics Netherlands (CBS).

Main sources for this guide

• NL Times, "Parents to pay more for childcare next year as hourly rates outpace gov't allowance" (19 October 2026, BOinK survey)
• Staatsblad 2026, 308, amending the childcare allowance decree (published 8 October 2026: 2027 caps and income brackets)
• CBS, "Vergoeding kinderopvang verder gestegen in 2025" (7 August 2026: what parents actually paid)
• Rijksoverheid, "Betaalbare kinderopvang" (the 2029 system)

For how Dutch allowances work in general, including advance payments, the annual settlement and repayments, see our guide to Dutch toeslagen. This article focuses on what childcare costs and how to choose and secure a place.

1. What is happening to childcare prices in 2027

The NL Times story was based on a survey by the parents' association BOinK, first reported by NU.nl. Several outlets picked it up within two days, with slightly different emphasis.

The caps rise by 3.32%

The Dutch childcare allowance, kinderopvangtoeslag, does not reimburse whatever you pay. It is calculated on the hourly rate up to a maximum hourly rate (maximum uurprijs). The 2027 caps were fixed in Staatsblad 2026, 308, published on 8 October 2026.

All three caps rise by the same 3.32%. The income brackets that decide your reimbursement rate rise by 3.47%. The caps are indexed each year on a mix of 80% business wage growth and 20% consumer prices.

Actual prices are higher

According to IamExpat, BOinK found that 72% of daycare centres and 71% of after-school providers charge more than the cap. DutchNews reported the same finding as "seven in ten daycare centres". The average rates were €11.82 for daycare and €10.70 for after-school care.

Even after the 2027 increase, the caps stay below the average price. Providers are expected to raise rates again next year, so the gap may not close.

Where the outlets disagree

The outlets reported the same survey but read it differently on three points.

Whether €11.82 is this year's average or next year's planned price is unclear. What is solid is that either way it is above the 2027 cap of €11.60, and that is the figure this guide relies on.

The government's response

According to NL Times, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Social Affairs said the allowance is deliberately not designed to rise in step with prices, as that would make it easier for providers to raise rates, and that it is not the intention to shift all costs onto taxpayers. The ministry added that the gap between the cap and average prices has narrowed since 2023.

BOinK chair Gjalt Jellesma countered that childcare use among low-income families is already significantly lower, and rising costs hit that group hardest.

2. How the childcare allowance is calculated

To estimate what you will pay, you need the basic formula. The general mechanics of Dutch allowances, such as advance payments, reporting changes and the annual settlement, are covered in our toeslagen guide. Here we stick to what drives the price.

Three numbers multiplied

In short: allowance = min(provider rate, cap) × hours × reimbursement rate. Your share is what you pay the provider minus the allowance. However high your reimbursement rate, the part of the hourly rate above the cap is never included.

Your rate depends on income and birth order

The 2027 income table is an annex to Staatsblad 2026, 308. In the published table, households with a combined assessment income (toetsingsinkomen) up to €58,369 get 96% for every child. Above €58,370, the rate for the first child starts to fall, reaching the floor of 36.5% from €171,406. Rates for second and later children fall more slowly and stay at 68.2% even in the top bracket from €243,877.

The 2027 rates may still change

There is a catch. According to the explanatory note in the gazette, this decree only fixes the 2027 caps and income brackets. The planned increase in reimbursement rates was split off into a separate amendment, which was submitted to parliament for a four-week pre-review (voorhang). The cabinet formation and budget talks in 2026 made it impossible to finish both in time.

On 25 October 2026 we could not find the final version of the rate amendment. If your household income is above about €58,000, recheck your rate once the amended table appears, and run the Belastingdienst estimate tool (proefberekening) after it has been updated.

The link to hours worked is gone

Until 2022 the number of subsidised hours depended on how many hours the parent with the fewest working hours worked. That link was abolished on 1 January 2023. As long as you work or study, you can claim up to 230 hours per child per month, whatever your working hours. Older guides that mention "140% of hours worked" are out of date.

3. How the gap reaches your budget

The short version: the lower your income, the bigger the share of your bill that comes from prices above the cap.

Low-income families: about 1.5 times more per hour

A household at the 96% rate pays only 4% of the capped rate. At the 2027 cap of €11.60 that is about 46 cents an hour. Add the full gap between the provider's rate and the cap, 22 cents at BOinK's average, and the total is 68 cents an hour, matching the NL Times calculation.

The capped share barely moves, but the 22-cent excess raises the hourly cost by about half. The higher your reimbursement rate, the more the excess stands out.

What parents actually paid in 2025

On 7 August 2026, CBS published what childcare cost in 2025, averaged per household receiving the allowance.

About one-seventh of what parents paid, €480, was the amount above the cap. CBS says 63% of recipient households paid more than the cap in 2025. The average reimbursement was 68%, up from 65% in 2024 and 64% in 2023.

The income gradient

CBS also split costs by income. The lowest-income fifth of households paid €1,190 a year, 11% of their childcare costs. The highest-income fifth paid €5,950, or 51%. Higher earners pay more because their reimbursement rate is lower.

But the amount above the cap is the same in euros at every income level. A few hundred euros a year above the cap is a large share of the bill for a household paying only €1,190. That is why BOinK focuses on low-income families.

4. The four types of Dutch childcare

Dutch childcare (kinderopvang) is not a single system. It splits into four types by age and use, each with its own cap.

Daycare (kinderdagverblijf)

A kinderdagverblijf cares for children from infancy to age four. IamExpat says centres usually take babies from about three months; Xpat.nl notes some accept infants from six weeks. Most open from about 07:30 to 18:00, for up to around ten hours a day.

Families normally contract fixed days per week, such as two or three, rather than full-time by default. Monthly fees are usually calculated as days × hours per day × 52 weeks ÷ 12 months × hourly rate. Under most contracts you pay the same monthly amount whether or not your child attends on a given day.

After-school care (BSO)

Buitenschoolse opvang, or BSO, looks after children aged four to twelve before and after school and during school holidays. Dutch children can start primary school at four, so most move straight from daycare to BSO. Expatica notes that primary schools are obliged to arrange BSO for their pupils.

BSO contracts come in several forms, for example term-time only or including holidays. Hourly rates and total hours differ between them, so compare on annual hours.

Childminders (gastouder)

A gastouder cares for a small group of children, often in their own home. You contract through a childminder agency (gastouderbureau); if the agency is on the national register, the care qualifies for the allowance. Grandparents who regularly look after grandchildren can register as childminders if they meet the requirements.

New quality rules took effect on 1 July 2026, according to Rijksoverheid. New childminders must complete a pedagogical module before starting, have a back-up adult who can arrive within 15 minutes in an emergency, and do seven hours of training a year plus three hours of coaching from their agency. CBS figures show fewer children using childminders in 2025, as families shift towards centres.

Preschool (peuteropvang)

Peuteropvang, also called peuterspeelzaal, is for children aged two to four, a few hours at a time, a couple of times a week. It is open to children whose parents do not work, and municipalities usually subsidise it.

In The Hague, regular preschool covers eight hours a week (two sessions), with an income-dependent fee that is around €10 a month at the lowest incomes. Children who need extra language or development support can attend voorschool (early education) for 16 hours a week between 2.5 and 4 years. The municipality says voorschool has been free for a large share of toddlers since 1 January 2024. Eligibility is assessed by the youth doctor or nurse at the Centrum Jeugd & Gezin (CJG).

The four types compared

Childminders have a lower cap and usually lower prices, which can keep your share down. Back-up when your childminder is ill depends on the agency.

5. What "almost free childcare" in 2029 really means

Headlines often say Dutch childcare will be "almost free" from 2029. Here is what the government actually describes.

The outline of the new system

According to the Rijksoverheid page on affordable childcare, the new system is planned to start on 1 January 2029.

The government is adding about €3.6 billion a year, bringing total spending on childcare to almost €9 billion. Parents will still pay a limited contribution, which municipalities may help cover.

96% or 95.6%?

Sources disagree on the rate. The government's announcement of 17 October 2025 said everyone would get the maximum rate of 96% regardless of income. The NL Times article of October 2026 gives 95.6% for 2029 and says low-income families would drop slightly from today's 96%. The current Rijksoverheid page does not state a percentage.

With either figure, anything above the cap stays your responsibility. It helps to read "almost free" as "almost free up to the cap".

What is not yet decided

Rijksoverheid says the bill, after advice from the Council of State, was expected in the House of Representatives in autumn 2026. Both chambers still have to vote, and details including the start date could change. Free childcare was originally planned for 2025 and has been postponed several times over fears of a demand surge.

The waiting list concern

IamExpat reported that the Childcare Sector Organisation (BK) is unhappy with the plan, warning that entrepreneurs may hesitate to open new locations, which "creates waiting lists". In 2025 NL Times reported that over one million children used daycare or after-school care for the first time, and that forecasts show staff shortages growing sharply in some regions.

Lower prices may mean scarcer places. If you expect to need daycare around 2029, securing a place matters at least as much as the price.

6. Waiting lists and how to get a place

There is no municipal allocation of daycare places in the Netherlands. You apply to providers directly and sign a contract with them. That means you decide where, when and on which days to apply.

How long is the wait?

Estimates vary widely, and there is no national waiting-list statistic.

The common thread is clear: register during pregnancy. Pressure is highest in the Randstad, the urban area around Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht. Preschool waits are usually shorter, from weeks to a few months.

Finding and checking providers

Only providers listed in the national childcare register, the Landelijk Register Kinderopvang (LRK), qualify for the allowance. You can search the LRK by name or postcode to find the registration number and read inspection reports from the municipal health service, GGD.

The GGD inspects every daycare centre, BSO and childminder agency at least once a year, unannounced. Reports cover staff-to-child ratios (beroepskracht-kindratio), hygiene and safety. They are in Dutch, but translation tools handle them well.

ACCESS suggests asking your town hall or using the map at Kinderopvangkaart.nl to find nearby providers. For English-speaking or bilingual care, the ACCESS helpdesk and The Hague International Centre can point you to options in the region.

Questions to ask on a visit

There is no official standard for registration fees, so get them in writing before you commit.

7. Worked examples (hypothetical households)

The following examples estimate 2027 monthly costs for hypothetical households. All figures are assumptions; your provider's rate and your reimbursement rate will differ. Monthly hours are calculated as days × hours × 52 ÷ 12.

Assumptions

Example 1: two earners, €50,000 combined, two days

A one-year-old in daycare two days a week, ten hours a day, is about 86.7 hours a month. The provider bills €1,040. The allowance is 86.7 × €11.60 × 96% ≈ €965, leaving about €75 a month. Of that, €0.40 × 86.7 ≈ €35 is the excess above the cap, almost half the family's share.

Example 2: same household, four days

At four days, about 173.3 hours, the bill is €2,080, the allowance about €1,930, and the family pays about €150 a month. Doubling the days roughly doubles the share.

Example 3: five days of eleven hours

Five eleven-hour days come to about 238 hours, above the 230-hour monthly limit. The bill is €2,860, the allowance 230 × €11.60 × 96% ≈ €2,561, and the family pays about €299 a month. The eight hours above the limit are paid in full.

Example 4: high income, two children

A household on about €120,000 with two children in daycare three days a week (130 hours each) pays €1,560 per child. Using 2026 table rates, the first child's allowance is about €914 and the second about €1,326, so the family pays about €880 a month in total. This household may benefit from the 2027 rate amendment; rerun the estimate when the table is final.

Example 5: BSO and a childminder

BSO for two afternoons a week (4 hours × 40 school weeks) plus ten holiday days of ten hours is about 35 hours a month, leaving about €39 a month at 96%. A childminder two days a week costs the family about €94 a month. When the gap with the cap is large, a childminder can cost as much as daycare.

Summary

For households at 96%, close to half of what they pay comes from the gap above the cap. When comparing providers, check how far each one's rate sits above the cap first.

8. Common pitfalls

General allowance pitfalls are covered in our toeslagen guide. These are the ones specific to childcare contracts and costs.

Contract hours versus actual hours

The allowance is based on contracted hours, not attendance. You pay for contracted hours when your child is ill or the centre is closed on a public holiday, and the allowance follows those hours. Extra hours you book on top must be added to your allowance application, or they are not covered.

If you stop working

According to the Belastingdienst, you keep your entitlement for three full months from the first of the month after you stop. If you have not found new work by then, the allowance ends. Some older guides say six months; the current official rule is three. Unused hours (the difference from 230 a month) can be used until 31 December of the same year but do not carry over.

Pitfalls at a glance

The last pitfall is common among newly arrived families where one partner is still job-hunting. Job-seeking alone usually does not qualify, but a municipal work programme or a civic integration course (inburgering) can.

9. If you are used to another system

Internationals arrive with very different expectations. In many countries, public childcare is allocated by the municipality, priced by income, or free from a certain age. The Dutch system differs on several points worth knowing early.

Two practical consequences follow. First, because primary school starts at four, the daycare years are shorter than in countries where school starts at five, six or seven. Second, with no central allocation, the work of securing a place falls on parents, and the earlier you start the more choice you have.

10. Step by step: what to do and when

During pregnancy

1. Decide on a realistic radius between home and work, and list five to ten candidates using the LRK and Kinderopvangkaart.nl
2. Visit three to five, and ask about the hourly rate, fee calculation and waiting-list order (section 6)
3. Register with several, stating your start month and preferred days; check for registration fees

When a place is offered

4. Check the hourly rate, monthly hours and notice period in the contract
5. Make sure the LRK number is on the contract
6. Withdraw from other waiting lists promptly

Once your child starts

7. Within three months of the start, log in to Mijn toeslagen with DigiD and apply; one application per child
8. Report changes in rate, hours or income as they happen
9. Each January, check your advance against the new caps and rates

11. Scenarios (hypothetical)

These three households are fictional, but they show how the answer changes with your situation.

Scenario A: a newly arrived family with one earner

One partner has moved on an intra-company transfer; the other has no Dutch job yet. Their child is one. No childcare allowance applies, so daycare is paid in full, around €1,000 a month even for two days. From age two, a subsidised municipal preschool is an option. Registering for daycare now, ahead of the second partner starting work, keeps the door open.

Scenario B: two earners on a middle income

Combined income is about €55,000, with children aged two and five. The younger goes to daycare three days a week; the older uses BSO. Both are reimbursed at 96%, so at a €12 rate the family pays about €112 a month for daycare and around €40 for BSO. Most of their share comes from the gap above the cap. A provider closer to the cap could save tens of euros a month, though switching means joining a new waiting list.

Scenario C: high-income researchers

Combined income is about €120,000 and the baby is due back from parental leave into four days of daycare. The first-child rate is around 60%, so the family may pay more than €800 a month. This household stands to gain from both the 2027 rate amendment and the 2029 system, but should register early if a second child is planned, as waiting lists may lengthen.

12. What not to do

13. Checklist

• I know the 2027 caps: €11.60 daycare, €10.31 BSO, €8.77 childminder
• I have calculated how far each candidate's rate is above the cap
• I have worked out monthly hours as days × hours × 52 ÷ 12
• I have checked my reimbursement rate in the latest table
• I have confirmed the provider is on the LRK and read the GGD report
• I registered with several providers during pregnancy
• I have checked the rate, hours and notice period in the contract
• I applied within three months of the start date
• Both partners meet the work or study condition
• I have a reminder to check the 2027 rate amendment in January

14. Summary

• The 2027 caps are €11.60 for daycare, €10.31 for BSO and €8.77 for childminders, up 3.32%
• About seven in ten daycare centres charge more than the cap; BOinK's average is €11.82
• Anything above the cap is paid in full at every income level, and weighs most on households at 96%
• The published 2027 table gives 96% up to €58,369; a separate amendment to raise rates is pending
• From 2029 the allowance is set to be replaced by direct funding to providers, but the bill has not passed and the exact rate differs between sources
• Dutch childcare comes in four types with different caps and uses
• Waits of up to 18 months are reported; register in pregnancy and apply within three months of the start

Sources

Official and statistical sources

• Staatsblad 2026, 308 — officielebekendmakingen.nl: 2027 caps (€11.60, €10.31, €8.77), indexation of 3.32% and 3.47%, 96% up to €58,369, rate amendment handled separately
• Bedragen kinderopvangtoeslag 2026 — Rijksoverheid: 2026 caps and income table, 230 hours a month
• Betaalbare kinderopvang — Rijksoverheid: 2029 system, direct funding, about €9 billion a year, bill timing
• Wetsvoorstel voor bijna gratis kinderopvang openbaar — Rijksoverheid: 17 October 2025, 96% for all working parents
• Besluit kinderopvangtoeslag 2027 — internetconsultatie.nl: public consultation on the 2027 amendment
• Vergoeding kinderopvang verder gestegen in 2025 — CBS: 2025 costs, parents' share, 68% reimbursement, 63% above the cap
• Kan ik kinderopvangtoeslag krijgen? — Belastingdienst: eligibility conditions
• Voor hoeveel uur kinderopvangtoeslag? — Belastingdienst: 230 hours regardless of hours worked
• Opvanguren opmaken — Belastingdienst: three months after stopping work, unused hours until 31 December
• Proefberekening toeslagen — Belastingdienst: allowance estimate tool
• Landelijk Register Kinderopvang: registered providers and GGD inspection reports
• Kwaliteit kinderopvang — Rijksoverheid: staff-to-child ratios, annual unannounced GGD inspections
• Kwaliteit gastouderopvang — Rijksoverheid: new childminder rules from 1 July 2026
• Haagse voorschool — Municipality of The Hague: ages 2.5–4, 16 hours a week, free for many since 2024

Media for internationals

• Parents to pay more for childcare next year as hourly rates outpace gov't allowance — NL Times: the starting point (19 October 2026), BOinK survey, €0.68 an hour, ministry response, 95.6% in 2029
• Childcare demand soars, union calls for year-long parental leave — NL Times: over one million children in care, staff shortage forecasts
• Parents in the Netherlands face higher childcare bills in 2027 — IamExpat: 72% and 71% above the cap, BSO average €10.70, reported €72,000 threshold
• Dutch government details plan to make childcare almost free from 2029 — IamExpat: 2029 plan and the sector's concerns
• Types of childcare in the Netherlands — IamExpat: types, ages, opening hours
• Daycare prices outpace benefit cap, hitting low earners hardest — DutchNews: seven in ten centres, €70 to €80 a month for two days
• Preschool and daycare in the Netherlands — Expatica: waits of up to 18 months, VVE, registration documents
• Childcare in the Netherlands — Expatica: BSO obligation, childminders, nannies, au pairs
• 7 things to know about having a child in the Netherlands — DutchReview: register at a positive pregnancy test, 2026 rate range
• Childcare in the Netherlands — ACCESS: types of care, Kinderopvangkaart.nl, helpdesk
• Dutch Day Care — Xpat.nl: waits of 6–18 months, longer in the west (older cost figures not used)
• Childcare Costs Made Easier — The Hague International Centre: 2026 caps, three-month deadline, payment date

Background

• Besluit kinderopvangtoeslag wijzigt ingroeipad en indexering voor 2027 — Salaris Vanmorgen: phase-in steps of 2025 and 2026
• Plannen verdere verbetering kinderopvangtoeslag per 2027 — SRA: February 2026 draft (about €56,400–€87,700)

All sources were checked on 25 October 2026. The 2027 reimbursement rates are still being amended and the 2029 bill has not been debated. Check official sources for the latest figures before signing a contract or applying.

Original article

Parents to pay more for childcare next year as hourly rates outpace gov't allowance — NL Times