Starting childcare: intake, settling in and daily handovers

Starting childcare needs a practical plan: when will your child attend, who will welcome them, what information is needed and how will you hear about their day? Discuss these questions at the intake meeting and confirm important arrangements. A placement offer or an enjoyable visit does not settle every detail of everyday care.

This guide covers the step between choosing a provider and the first days of care in the Netherlands. Still choosing? Start with comparing childcare and the childcare visit checklist. A start plan cannot promise an effortless transition, but it gives parents and staff a shared set of practical arrangements.

1. Turn the placement into a workable start plan

Confirm the first day, agreed attendance days and the times when you can actually drop off and collect. Record the location and group too. For after-school care, called BSO, include the school, collection arrangements and what happens on a day when school is closed. Ask what to do if an agreed care day unexpectedly cannot go ahead.

Keep contractual terms and everyday arrangements clear alongside each other. You need not revisit the whole contract, but a promised settling-in afternoon must fit the agreed start. The Dutch parents' association BOinK explains that the agreement, conditions and service offer together form the contract. Keep the version that applies to your placement.

• Who is your contact before the first day and during care?
• Which arrangement still needs confirming, by whom and when?
• Who may drop off or collect your child, and how is a change checked?
• Which channel handles absence, an urgent question and routine updates?

2. Bring a short, useful description to the intake meeting

Describe what a member of staff needs to get to know your child. Include the usual routine, meals, rest, toilet training, communication and what helps at home when your child is upset or tired. For a schoolchild, friendships, interests and the transition after a busy school day may matter more than a sleep routine.

Separate a preference from an essential arrangement. “Usually has a drink after a nap” is different from an agreed allergy plan. Discuss necessary care information directly with the provider, using its designated channel. Ask how that information reaches the people who actually look after your child, including replacement staff.

A page of clear priorities can be more useful than a long account with no order. You might list three daily habits, two matters needing particular attention and one question to resolve at the meeting. Update the provider when circumstances change; an intake form does not automatically remain accurate.

3. Agree on settling-in sessions and charges

Ask about the settling-in policy and turn it into specific arrangements for your child. Who will be there, how long will the session last, when will you leave and what happens if the plan needs adjusting? There is no single number of settling-in days that suits every child and every provider.

BOinK states that settling-in requires a signed contract and takes place from the agreed date when care begins. This is different from the date when you sign. Confirm which settling-in hours will be charged; a short stay does not automatically mean a smaller bill. Check this before fixing your own working arrangements.

Decide who remains reachable and who can collect if necessary. Ask when the provider will contact you and how you will discuss the next session. A photograph or brief update may be reassuring, but agree on the information you need to understand how your child experienced the day.

4. Keep drop-off and collection handovers focused

A handover need not cover everything that happened at home or throughout the childcare day. At drop-off, explain what matters today: a restless night, a different person collecting or an arrangement that affects the day. For an important change, check that the staff member has received your message.

At collection, ask about events that help you understand the evening or the next day. What went well, what was difficult and has an agreed approach changed? If the group is busy, arrange a separate conversation. A question about development or a recurring concern needs more space than a chat in the doorway.

5. Know who follows up on arrangements

The Dutch government states that every child in daycare and BSO has a mentor. Ask who this is and how to arrange a meeting. In childminder care, discuss with the childminder and agency who handles everyday questions and who helps when an arrangement is not followed.

Also ask how to read the safety and health policy; the government states that parents may inspect it. Discuss practical situations, such as a different person collecting or a staff member being unexpectedly absent. The document helps, but you also need to know who takes action on your care day and how you will be informed.

6. Example: a first Tuesday with someone else collecting

Imagine a parent returning to work on Tuesday while a relative collects that afternoon. Rather than sending only an informal message, the parent asks beforehand how the provider records a different collection person. The intake meeting establishes who remains reachable, what to bring and when to discuss the settling-in session.

At drop-off, the parent mentions a difficult night. At collection, the relative asks about the agreed points and passes the information on at home. On the next care day, the parent discusses one specific question with the contact person. This example is not a rule for every family; it shows how a small plan keeps important information moving between people.

7. Review the start at an agreed time

Choose a time together to review the start and record the questions you will discuss. These might concern drop-off, contact with staff, the daily routine and how clearly updates are communicated. Consider several care sessions and ask for examples; one particularly good or difficult afternoon does not tell the whole story.

Adjust a specific arrangement and agree when to discuss its effect. If concerns continue, bring the conversation forward. When changing providers, use the handover checklist for a childcare change. If there is immediate danger, put safety first rather than waiting for a planned review.

Sources and review

Sources checked on 11 October 2026. The start plan, questions and example are practical editorial tools; confirm your own provider's arrangements separately. The source pages below are in Dutch.

• Dutch government: childcare quality, mentors and policies
• BOinK: the childcare contract
• BOinK: contract and settling-in questions