The parental contributions for income-related childcare are currently at a minimum of 6 euros to a maximum of 33.31 euros per day. In 2024, parents will have to pay between 6.24 euros and 34.64 euros per day. For the lowest incomes, the average monthly invoice for full-time care increases by 5.2 euros, to 136.21 euros. For the highest incomes, an average month of 29 euros is added, so full-time care for one child costs them 756.19 euros.
Vooruit chairman Conner Rousseau criticizes the fact that Flanders is once again making childcare more expensive. “Prices are rising again by 4 percent, after having already increased by 10 percent last year. In just over a year, 14 percent will be added. Who can still afford that? That’s laughing at the hard-working Flemish. In September, the Flemish government announced cheaper childcare with lots of bells and whistles. An investment of 270 million, it sounded at the time.”
According to Minister of Welfare Hilde Crevits (CD&V), parental contributions for childcare follow the general increase in longevity, as do wages. Minister Crevits: “We understand the concerns of parents about rising prices. Once a year, parents’ contributions to income-related childcare are indexed, but this also happens with the intervention of the government that the daycare centers receive. This intervention will also be expanded and, after the measures we are taking, will amount to approximately 80 percent of the cost per shelter. The parental contribution therefore only covers approximately 20 percent of the cost of a place in childcare. So it is not true that the government does nothing. With the additional 270 million that we are releasing for the sector, we are also making important investments in the sector. For example, we want to have 80 percent of income-related places by 2024, while we currently have 73 percent of all childcare places.”
