Compensation for the Flemish childcare outside of school

The childcare outside of school, as well as the care of babies and toddlers, was asked to remain open during the corona crisis, as a priority for parents with essential professions and children in vulnerable home situations. Parents were asked - if possible - to take care of their children at home as much as possible.

Parents do not have to pay if their child does not come to the care facility in the period from 14 March to (at least) 19 April 2020. As a result, fewer children are present in the care outside of school and care centres receive fewer contributions than usual. Therefore the Flemish Government now also grants compensation for childcare outside of school.

In a previous infoflash we already communicated for the support to the care facilities for babies and toddlers.

For whom?

All organisers of childcare outside of school with an accreditation, an authorisation or a certificate of supervision:

• where parents do not pay for absence days and care during the Easter holidays is free
• that remain open or ensure childcare; exception: If you have to close the childcare facility due to force majeure, you can still benefit from the compensation subsidies (e.g. when all employees are infected with the virus, in case of a childcare facility that is located in a residential care centre and therefore has to close down as a result of the measures taken by the National Security Council, ...).

• Who enter into a dialogue with the local government in order to jointly seek solutions with regard to the care questions;
• and whose employees remain employed and available and continue to receive their wages (or allowance). In other words, temporary unemployment cannot be invoked for the employees.
  
  Comment: If you had already closed your childcare facility and applied for temporary unemployment, you will be able to benefit from the subsidy again as soon as you reopen it.

It is therefore important to remember that, in order to be entitled to the compensation subsidy, you must keep your employees employed and continue to pay their wages.

The subsidy cannot be combined with the system of temporary unemployment or any other Flemish or federal support.

How much?

You will receive an amount per (planned) opening day in the period to which the compensatory measures apply. The amount for school-free days is higher because the care facility is then open all day:

How to apply?

The application is done in 2 steps.

Step 1: after the month has ended, fill in the application form completely.

Step 2: return the form by mail to compensatie.corona@kindengezin.be.

More information

For more information about this premium, please visit the website of Kind & Gezin.

Note: there is a separate compensation subsidy for FCUD projects-sick children. Different amounts and conditions apply. More info can be found here;

Source:

• Decree of the Flemish Government to combat the negative consequences of the Covid-19 virus on families and providers of child care outside of schools, care for sick children en preventive family aid;
• Website Kind en Gezin.