2023-04-23 19:34:15
While the government is pumping more and more money into childcare, more investors are coming. That can be good for the necessary growth of shelter places, but public money ends up in deep pockets. Should the government intervene?
Op dit moment is 12 procent van de kinderopvang in handen van private investeerders. Vier grote kinderopvangorganisaties, zoals Partou, zijn overgekocht door investeringsmaatschappijen. Gemiddeld proberen deze investeerders in vier tot zeven jaar de waarde te vermeerderen, om de opvangorganisatie vervolgens door te verkopen.
Tot nu toe leidt de doorverkoop niet tot grote verschillen in prijs en kwaliteit, zien onderzoekers van SEO Economisch Onderzoek. Zij namen de zeventig grootste kinderopvangorganisaties onder de loep.
Conclusies uit het rapport ‘Markt voor kinderopvang’ (SEO)
- 12 procent is in handen van private equity (PE)
- De prijs voor een PE-kinderopvang ligt gemiddeld 4 tot 8 procent hoger dan bij non-profitorganisaties. Voor de buitenschoolse opvang is de prijs 2 tot 11 procent hoger.
- Geen verschil als het gaat om arbeidsvoorwaarden
- Geen verschil in pedagogische kwaliteit
- Geen verschil in de groei van het aantal plekken voor kinderen
- Geen wezenlijke verschillen in de ervaringen van ouders en medewerkers
But big changes are coming for childcare. From 2025, the government wants to largely pay for childcare and out-of-school care itself, according to the coalition agreement. Parents then only have to pay 4 percent of the costs. Many of them will soon spend less money on childcare.
This raises concerns regarding the arrival of investors in the market. Who will stop the new owner from raising the price if the government pays anyway? Public money can thus flow away to the wallets of big business.
More shelters with more money
“There are many Indian stories regarding these investors,” says professor of economics Janneke Plantenga. But the figures from the SEO report (see box) are better than expected.
The money flows can even ensure the growth of shelter places, Plantenga hears from practice. “You have to pull power from somewhere to expand,” she says. And more shelters are desperately needed, given the current shortages.
Nevertheless, it remains undesirable for public money to disappear from the sector via private investors, according to Plantenga. She therefore argues for a price cap. That keeps the more aggressive grabbers at a safe distance from the industry, thinks the professor. “Without price regulation, I foresee major problems.”
Price ceiling, a Hague solution?
Director of the Child Care Branch Organization (BK) Emmeline Bijlsma sees the price cap as a risk rather than a solution. “There are already major shortages. They will only grow if we impose even more rules on childcare.”
The costs of a shelter can differ per region and depend on real estate prices, but also on differences in quality. At one crèche, children play outside more often, which requires more staff. Elsewhere, children get a hot meal instead of a sandwich.
Bijlsma believes that parents should retain that freedom of choice, even if this is accompanied by price differences. She would rather not see the government determine how much childcare may cost.
Professor Plantenga understands that entrepreneurs will not like a price ceiling. “But childcare is also a service to children and not just to parents,” she says. She therefore finds it undesirable that there should be a difference in quality between the care for children from poorer and richer families.
Place for all children
The prices will soon be very transparent because everyone pays the same percentage, Bijlsma expects. “That gives parents the opportunity to exert influence.” She does, however, advocate the introduction of a quality monitor, so that there is more supervision in nurseries and out-of-school care.
According to Plantenga, the sector should offer a place to all children. She wants children of non-working parents to also be able to develop in a crèche or out-of-school care. “We know that good childcare benefits these children in particular. We should make money available for that.”
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