A private crèche in Heusy (Verviers), in the province of Liège, is set to close, leaving 50 families without childcare. The closure highlights the challenges of making such structures profitable. The crèche employs eight people, and parents were informed of the closure on Wednesday. The high cost of private childcare, which can average €500 ($569) per month, is a factor, as are energy costs that outstrip tariffs. The staffing model, which uses “independent” workers, is also a barrier to sustainability, according to Cécile Foguenne, the crèche’s director.
A crèche must close its doors in Heusy (Verviers), in the province of Liège. 50 children and therefore 50 families will soon find themselves without a childcare solution. How to explain these repeated closures? Why is it difficult to make these structures profitable?
Eight people work in this private crèche until June 30. Since this Wednesday, the parents have learned that the establishment was going to close. “As a mom, it’s really hard to tell herself that she’s fulfilled here. The end is going to be super abrupt, it’s not easy”confides Sophie, Clémentine’s mother.
Placing your child in a private nursery costs on average 500 euros per month. 50 children are cared for here by freelancers who have to be paid for, and ever-increasing energy costs that the tariffs can no longer cover.
“The first problem is financial. The second problem is the staff who work under the status of independent. A precarious, insecure status, which does not allow the sustainability of the structure. I would like them to be salaried for that they have a contract in good and due form “explains Cécile Foguenne, the director of the crèche.
“We were there on days when we weren’t supposed to be there. We skipped vacations to be there for the children, for the parents, for the boss. We got involved and overnight, we announce it’s over”adds Manon, a childcare worker.
Following the floods in the region, the subsidies granted to public reception structures fell sharply. That of Cécile cannot spontaneously receive subsidies given her status. Parents are looking for solutions.
“We will try to contact the different levels of power to find a solution. What is problematic is that we have to find a solution very quickly”says François, a dad.
Another problem: the eternal reception in these structures. 5,200 places should be created by 2025 in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
The closure of the Heusy crèche in Verviers highlights the difficulties of making private childcare centers financially sustainable. With 50 children and their families left without childcare solutions, the precarious status of independent staff and the ever-increasing energy costs are major challenges for such establishments. The lack of subsidies following the floods in the region further exacerbates the situation. As parents search for solutions, it is clear that urgent action is needed to address these problems and ensure the sustainability of childcare services for families in need.
