A new adventure every day
Playing, learning, exploring. At our daycare centres, your child is constantly inspired and encouraged to discover the world. Together with other children, and guided by our enthusiastic and experienced childcare professionals. Our educational values shape everything we do, every day, always at your child’s pace. Our childcare professionals have all the knowledge and experience to give your child exactly what they need.
How much do I need to pay for childcare?
Our approach
Expertise you can rely on
Our childcare professionals have the right qualifications and regularly take additional courses and training to stay up to date with the latest developments in our daycare centres. Helan Childcare also has a full team of experts, including an educational expert, educational staff and team leaders, who safeguard the quality of our services across all our daycare centres.
.svg/.2021-12-23-13-45-29)
Respect for everyone
Your child is free to be who they are. Our childcare is open to everyone. Your child’s wellbeing is close to our hearts, and trust is key in that respect. Between your child and their carer, but also between you and the childcare team. With mutual respect, we build a long-term relationship, regardless of background, gender, culture or beliefs.
A safe, healthy and sustainable environment
Sustainability matters to us. Wherever possible, we choose ecological alternatives in our daycare centres. For your child’s health and safety, we consciously select products and materials that reduce our ecological footprint. Including on their plate. In our daycare centres, a team of professional dietitians puts together a delicious, varied and vitamin-rich menu every day. Because eating well is both healthy and enjoyable.
Focused on your child’s development
Your child is given every opportunity and the space to develop at their own pace, with individual attention. All new children can make use of a 6-hour settling-in package. This package is spread over several sessions, taking into account the needs of the child and the parents, and in dialogue with the childcare professionals. By introducing short moments of care, your child can gradually get to know the daycare. This gradual approach reduces stress levels and strengthens the bond of trust between the family and the childcare team. Before long, your child will feel completely at home with us and naturally get every opportunity to develop:
- Vertical groups with children of different ages, so they can learn from each other.
- Personal time and attention for every child.
- Activities tailored to your child’s rhythm.
- Plenty of space and opportunities to move and explore, including outdoors.
What are respite days?
With childcare, you pay for the days you have booked, even if your child doesn’t attend on one of those days. Luckily, there are respite days: days when your child is absent and you don’t have to pay. These give you extra flexibility.
The number of respite days depends on how many set days you book. You can use them for illness, holidays or just a day off. Please note: from the sixth day of illness onwards, you no longer need to use respite days, but you do need to provide a medical certificate.
Please note: this video is in Dutch.
Good to know
Did you know that, as a mum, you’re welcome to come and breastfeed your child at any time? In our day nurseries, you can feed your child in peace and quiet. If you’re nearby and can pop in, you’re very welcome.
Practical questions and answers
Happy children, satisfied parents and enthusiastic childcare workers. That’s what we aim for. To make this happen, we put our customers at the heart of everything we do and focus on open communication.
Even when your child isn’t with you for a while, we'll always keep you up to date. Alongside a digital communication diary, we’re happy to make time for a chat. Because we’re here to listen to you.
A personal catch-up every day
Of course you want to know how your child’s day has been. With a daily personal handover when you collect your child, you’ll stay up to date with everything that matters.
Digital communication diary
Sleeping, eating, playing, … we record everything that’s important in our parent app. Digital, because it’s convenient. You can also share useful or practical information with us straight away and follow your child’s activities at any time during the day.
Open communication
Got a question, a comment, feedback or something you’d like to discuss? Our childcare team and the childcare manager are always happy to make time for you.
When you enrol your child in our childcare, we draw up a childcare contract. This is a binding agreement for a minimum of three days of care per week. Your childcare contract includes a care plan with the set days and hours when care for your child is guaranteed.
You can adjust your care plan once a year, in consultation with the Helan childcare team leader.
Not everyone can afford to pay the same amount toward high-quality childcare. But everyone is entitled to it. That’s why the Flemish Government provides a means-tested childcare system. All Helan day nurseries and childminders are licensed by Kind & Gezin (Growing Up Agency). This allows us to offer you a means-tested rate. The daily fee you pay for your child’s childcare depends on your income. That way, we keep our childcare accessible and affordable. For everyone.
How can I calculate my means-tested rate?
To calculate your means-tested rate, we need an income rate certificate (child code). You can request this via the website of the Growing Up Agency. If you’re unable to apply for this yourself, you can always contact us.
Please note: as a parent, you are responsible for requesting any adjustment to your rate following a change in income and/or family situation.
If your child is unable to attend childcare, please let your childminder know the day nursery or your childminder as soon as possible, so they can start the day with peace of mind.
Cancel childcare free of charge
Your care plan includes a set number of days for which you do not have to pay the daily fee if your child does not attend. These are known as ‘absence days’.
You get 20 absence days on a full-time care plan, and a proportional number of absence days for a part-time care plan
- If all absence days have been used, we will charge you your daily fee (child code rate).
- If your child is absent for more than 5 consecutive calendar days due to illness (according to your care plan), you do not need to use an absence day from the 6th day of illness onwards. We do ask for a medical certificate in that case.
If your child is ill, you can cancel childcare by using an absence day.
If your child is absent due to illness for more than 5 consecutive calendar days (as set out in your care plan), you don’t need to use an absence day from the 6th day of illness onwards. In that case, we do require a medical certificate.
We must receive the medical certificate by the last working day of the current month. The certificate must clearly state the date the period of illness started.
If your child is ill, but you have to work, you can use Helan’s ‘home care for sick children’.
Each Daycare Centre has its own house rules. You’ll receive them when you enrol your child at the Daycare Centre. If you would like another copy, we're more than happy to send one to you.
If you have any feedback, such as compliments, concerns, suggestions, dissatisfaction or complaints about the day-to-day running of our Daycare Centres, we would prefer it if you discussed directly with our childcare workers or team leaders. If you are not satisfied, we’ll listen and look for a solution together.
As an organisation, we strongly encourage constructive feedback to our staff. It helps us to continuously improve the quality of our childcare.
If you would like to share your feedback online, you can do so via feedbackkinderopvang@helan.be
“The engagement, the warmth and the initiative taken by the daycare workers are huge plus points. Their values aren't just empty words. They actually put them into practice.”
Urgent and occasional childcare
In the City of Antwerp, we offer 146 childcare places for urgent and occasional care.
Need urgent childcare because you’re starting a course? Have you suddenly found a job? Or is your family facing an acute crisis situation? If so, you can come to one of our OKIDO day nurseries straight away (ABC Ateljee, Avonturenatelier, Bellenbos, Droomdomein, Fabelfee and Heldenhuis), where we provide urgent and occasional childcare. These places are always temporary, until your child can move to a regular childcare place.
