Subsidy for group assistants in childcare

Subsidy for extra group assistants to combat staff shortages in Dutch childcare

Like many other sectors, childcare is struggling with a staff shortage. To alleviate the pressure, childcare organisations can apply for a subsidy for hiring group assistants from today. The Dutch government is making a total of €6 million available for this purpose.

Group assistants support pedagogical professionals in the daily care and activities of children. They can enter the workforce quickly, because prior education or relevant work experience is not required. With practical training, group assistants can also develop further and possibly grow into the position of pedagogical professional. It is a suitable route for a broad group of job seekers and employees who want to work in childcare, but do not have the right diplomas. For example, think of lateral entrants, Ukrainian displaced persons and people on benefits.

A childcare organisation may apply for a subsidy for a maximum of two group assistants per year. The condition is that the group assistant has an employment contract of at least one year and follows training through practical training in secondary vocational education. The maximum subsidy amount per group assistance is € 10,056 and depends on the number of contract hours and the number of applications for the scheme. € 1.6 million is available for the current application period. New subsidy rounds will follow next year and in 2026.

> Translated from Dutch / Nederlands with links to sources