Organisation, Human resources
University discontinuing allowance for De Kattekop Day Care Centre
The annual exclusivity allowance paid by the university to De Kattekop Day Care Centre Foundation will end as of 1 January 2027. This decision has been taken by the Executive Board in response to the cuts in higher education funding. Below, you will read what this decision means for parents.
At present, childcare at De Kattekop in Leiden is available exclusively to parents who work or study at Leiden University, including our Campus The Hague. To make this possible, the university pays an annual allowance to De Kattekop, enabling it to offer places specifically to parents working or studying at Leiden University. This payment will cease as of 1 January 2027.
Why is the annual allowance being discontinued?
The allowance is being discontinued in light of the cuts to higher education funding. A relatively small number of students and staff from the university make exclusive use of the childcare. Since the introduction of the Childcare Act in 2005, the number of daycare providers has increased significantly, giving parents far greater choice. In addition, the increase in hybrid working has led many families to opt for childcare closer to home rather than near the workplace. This trend has been further reinforced since the university began fully reimbursing public transport commuting in November 2024.
What does this mean for parents with children at De Kattekop?
Although the discontinuation of the annual allowance would allow De Kattekop to opt to open its daycare provision to a wider group of parents, the Board of De Kattekop Day Care Centre Foundation has decided to continue its daycare provision and to offer this exclusively to university staff. De Kattekop will contact parents to provide further information.
How did the exclusive arrangement come about?
De Kattekop Day Care Centre was established in 1980. At that time, childcare provision was scarce, and many staff would have been unable to continue working without access to daycare. Leiden University was the first Dutch university to have its ‘own’ day care centre. De Kattekop offers 56 places per day to children up to the age of four. Parents value De Kattekop as a small-scale, high-quality daycare centre, as reflected in customer satisfaction surveys in recent years.
If you have any questions about the future structure of De Kattekop, please contact its director, Ellen Buschman, at e.buschman@dekattekop.nl or visit www.dekattekop.nl.