“The Impact of Childcare Reforms on Nurseries: Closures and Consequences for Families and Workers”

2023-05-05 07:49:00

After 31 years of good and loyal service, the Bambi childhood home, located in Evere, has closed down. Sabine Loudèche, founder and former director of the establishment is formal: without the reform of the childcare facilities that came into effect in 2020, her crèche would still be open today.

“Many closures are due to the reform of nurseries and it is not over yet: many other establishments will still close in the months to come. Since this reform, working with independent childcare workers has become impossible. We are asked also to have a number of children which is a multiple of seven to benefit from supervision. I had twelve and I did not have the possibility of welcoming two more due to lack of space. should therefore have accommodated a maximum of seven, which would have been financially unsustainable”she laments.

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Another bad surprise: Sabine can no longer work as a childcare worker. She no longer has the necessary qualifications to practice.

“Now, you have to have the CESS to practice as a childcare worker. This was not the case when I started. So I can no longer live from my passion. At the age of 50, I have to go back to training to change career. So I started training as a nurse’s aide”she breathes.

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According to her, the worst is yet to come. for the early childhood sector. “The government has promised to create 5,000 places in childcare centers in Wallonia and Brussels, but what do we do with all the nurseries that are closing? It’s going to be a disaster, especially since the young no longer want to work in the sector because of the difficult working conditions.”

A fear shared by Marie Deboot, childcare worker in Namur. “I’ve been doing this job for 15 years and I no longer have the fervor of the beginnings. It becomes complicated for everyone: home care workers work 50 hours a week for derisory wages, not to mention the time needed to do shopping, cleaning the premises etc. The directors are exhausted, between illnesses, burnouts and the shortage of staff, the situation is just becoming inextricable”she laments.

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