The majority of Dutch-speaking child daycare centres in the Brussels region are not able to fill their childcare worker vacancies, resulting in some having to close temporarily or reduce their opening hours.
Chronic staff shortages are being felt across Belgium, which has the third most job vacancies in the European Union.
In Brussels, this is palpable in the childcare sector, where 90% of the Dutch-speaking nurseries still have job openings across all municipalities, according to figures from the Flemish Community Commission (VGC), which oversees all Dutch-speaking daycare centres in the country.
"The staff shortage has a major impact on parents and children. Childcare is a right and essential for the prosperity and well-being of families," a Flemish Socialist member of the Brussels regional government, Els Rochette, said. She has requested the figures from the VGC President Elke Van den Brandt.
As a result, many parents are having to step in to help nurseries take care of children, especially during the summer holidays, as nurseries are reducing hours via an adapted timetable based on available staff, or closing their doors for days at a time.
Vicious cycle making profession unattractive
Increased workloads and pressure — some of the issues that are contributing to staff shortages in other professions such as teaching — are contributing to the low attractiveness of the profession.
Additionally, the lack of qualified workers due to the tightness of the labour market and the competition with job options in Flanders are resulting in Brussels nurseries being especially short-staffed.
The recent crisis in the sector regarding increased reports of child abuse in daycare centres added to the strain on the profession.
In recent years, the number of vacancies has increased by 30%, while at the end of last year, 143 vacancies were still open. The lack of additional staff is further putting pressure on remaining workers, who are also taking in extra children from daycare centres that have to close, fuelling fears they may also leave the profession.
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"Because of this pressure, the risk of them dropping out or looking for another job increases," according to Rochette, who said the power to implement changes lies in the hands of Flanders, which invests just €3 per hour per child in nurseries.
She said the profession urgently needs to be made fundamentally more attractive through a manageable child per caregiver ratio, a better salary and easier lateral entry from other professions.
"We need to ensure a revaluation of the profession. Child carers do heavy and essential work, yet the pay is low. We have to motivate young people to train for this profession," Rochette said. "Flanders has to give childcare the support it deserves."
