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Welcome at Op Stoom
We provide loving care and give attention to the development of children in a playful way. Making our day care extra enjoyable for you and your child, is both in the details and in seeing the bigger picture.
From babies
Our day nursery opens up a new world for your child. One that has to be explored! We will take your child by its hand and take it along with lots of love, attention and joy. We inspire, stimulate and challenge. We make sure to take all of our time for the moments of care. We play with their little feet, do games of peekaboo, watch and laugh together. We put into words what your baby sees, and what do they do? They happily babble and chat along with us! The first months, the motor skills develop like a rocket, so your child gets a lot of space. No rockers, but soft carpet or a box to bend, stretch and turn. Done playing? Then it’s time for a nap in a crib, hanging crib or outdoor bed.
To toddlers
Once your child can crawl or walk, an even larger area can be discovered. That is great, because we have several corners with their own themes. Dancing in the discovery corner, stacking things in the construction corner, or dressing a doll in the doll corner. We also like to cook. In the mud kitchen of our nature garden. And we simply LOVE reading! Which we do regularly and take a lot of time for. We often start off our fantasy games by reading a book. Because when the bears go out hunting, so do we!
To preschoolers
So much to do, so much to experience! Some children enjoy doing arts and crafts hours on end, while others prefer to run, jump and climb. No problem! Our schedule is flexible and we can always adjust our activities. Playacting, music, doing sports, being in nature… we do it all. The same goes for rhymes, songs, stories, and a visit of one of our Travelers. Guaranteed fun!
To schoolchildren
When the school closes its doors, our after-school day care takes over. Baking a beet cake, making a concert with found objects, playing the-floor-is-lava, reading a pile of Donald Ducks, or just hanging out together… Your child will decide for itself what it wants to do. Doing things out of their own interest is very educational. During holidays we’re open all day. Our pedagogical staff will then have prepared a fantastic holiday program for your child. Your child is also welcome all day long during study days.
Cancelling, requests and day care points
At Op Stoom we use day care points. If you cancel a contractual child care day, you receive day care points. When requesting an incidental child care day, you can pay for this with your collected day care points.
Please understand that receiving day care points is a service that Op Stoom chooses to offer, and not a right.
Whether we can approve a requested incidental child care day, depends on the staff-child ratio and the availability of staff in the group. Unfortunately this means we cannot guarantee that every request will be approved.
You can easily cancel and request child care days in the Op Stoom App, which is available in the App Store and the Google Play Store. For questions you can contact the planning department: aanvragen@opstoom.nl
Cancelling day care and receiving day care points
You can cancel a child care day in the Op Stoom app under ‘Cancelling and requesting day care’. Don’t forget to confirm your request in the shopping cart.
To receive day care points, you will have to cancel your child’s day care at least one day before at 12.00 in the Op Stoom App. In this way, we can still adjust to the cancellation. If you cancel at a later moment, for example because your child falls ill or suddenly doesn’t need day care, you will not receive day care points.
The day care points can only be used for the same child and will last for 3 months after cancelling.
For Holidays on contractual days, you don’t receive day care points. For other contractual days on which Op Stoom is closed, such as the days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, and the Friday after Ascension Day, you do receive day care points. They will be granted in the week after the Holiday(s).
- Day care types such as early and late day care, incidental day care, lunch-time care and meals are excluded from day care points.
- Do you need day care on a day that you already cancelled? Go to the Op Stoom App and make a request for this day. We’ll check if the spot is still available.
- Is your request not yet approved? Then you can cancel it by emailing to aanvragen@opstoom.nl
Requesting child care day(s)
You can request a child care day in the Op Stoom App under ‘Cancelling and requesting day care’.
Our planners assess your request as soon as possible, at the latest within three workdays. Requests are assessed between 7.30 and 17.15. Please understand that we can only provide day care for your child after the request has been approved. ‘Requests’ shows your request’s status.
Your request will be approved if there is enough space in a location, in accordance with the laws and regulations. This means that there is a maximum amount of children at a location, and that the staff-child ratio is respected. The staff-child ratio differs between age groups. For this reason it is possible that your request for a toddler will be approved, even though your request for a baby will not be approved.
If your request for an alternative child care day has been declined, you can try again at a later moment. We understand the wish for a waiting list, but given the extra work (and costs) of this and given the fact that we offer the possibility of making up for cancelled days as a service, we choose not to work with a waiting list.
You can pay for the extra day with your day care points or by invoice (in the case of insufficient day care points). It’s not possible to pay a part with the day care points, and a part by invoice. Neither is it possible to pay with day care points that will be acquired at a later point.
- When making requests for several children, it is possible to let us know that you only want to use the extra child care day if all requests are approved.
- You cannot switch around an approved request. If you will not use the extra child care day, you will not receive day care points for this.
Day care points
Day care points are tied to a day care type. If your child transfers from toddler day care to after-school day care, the day care points that were collected in toddler day care expire. If your child only changes to a different location, the collected day care points remain valid.
When the day care contract ends, the collected day care points expire.
No. Collected day care points will not be reimbursed.
The worth of day care products in points:
Entire day daycare – 100
Entire day preschool (until school closes) – 64
Part of a day daycare (only possible at some locations) – 50
Morning preschool – 32
Entire day – 100
Afternoon – 100
Before school (not possible at every location) – 25
To a different group
Afterschool care (BSO)
Are there no free spots left in your child’s basic group to spend the extra child care day? In that case, it may be possible for your child to go to another group at the same location, if there are more groups there. When requesting the extra day in the app, you can consent to placing your child in another basic group on that day, when necessary. With every request, you will have to give this consent again for that day.
Daycare (KDV)
Are there no free spots left in the usual group to spend the extra child care day? In that case, it may be possible for your child to go to a neighboring group on that day, if there are more groups on that location. For this, we will need your written consent.
Terms and Conditions
The Terms and Conditions of Op Stoom were last amended in January 2019.
You can find them here.
Basic groups
In our BSO (after-school day care), your child has a fixed mentor on the day that they spend there. Besides, your child is part of a fixed group on their child care day. We call this a basic group. A basic group consists of 20, 22 or 24 children – depending on the age – and 2 pedagogical professionals (usually including the mentor of your child). Your child will spend the fixed (table) moments at the after-school day care with this group. The assignment to the groups can be found on the notice board of the location. The composition of children and staff members can vary depending on the day of the week. And sometimes your child will be placed in a different basic group, for example when spending an extra child care day. When requesting this day, you can consent in the app to your child being placed in a different group, when necessary. This consent will be needed every time you make a new request.
During the holidays or when we have fewer children, we may combine different basic groups.
Playing freely
When arriving at the BSO (after-school day care), your child will go to its own basic group (your child knows what their basic group is, and of course we help if that’s not the case). Together we will eat and drink something and your child can tell us a bit about their day. We will also discuss the activities of that day. Besides these fixed moments, your child is free to participate in activities, play with children from another basic group, or sit by itself on the couch with a book.
How is your child doing?
We think it’s important that you feel comfortable bringing your child to us. We want to help creating this trust. By continuing to talk to you, by telling you what we have planned for the day, and by letting you know how your child is doing. We initiate conversations and are happy to talk to you if you want this. All of us know what is going on in your child’s world and what is the best way to respond to this.
Keeping you up to date…
When you bring your child, we can always exchange information. When you pick up your child, we will let you know what they have been up to. This can be about small nice things that caught our eye, but also the development of your child. And we’ll keep you up to date about playing with other children, eating and drinking, and care aspects.
Always in touch
You can reach us all day by phone and email. On the notice board in the hallyway you can read what we have been up to that day. Going to the library or a visit from a Traveler? You will know about it! Besides, the Cluster Manager regularly sends a message through the app with information about the fun things we are doing, the staff, important dates and other useful information.
The Op Stoom App lets you cancel or request child care days for your child, check the status of your request(s) and day care points, and view the invoices and annual statement. And because you probably don’t want to miss a moment, you will regularly receive photos of your child(ren). You can then easily download and share them. Isn’t that awesome?! You can download our app in the App Store and Google Play Store.
Your child’s development
Is your child going to the day nursery? We will always have a conversation with you about them when you bring or pick up your child. Besides, during approximately the 18th month, the 32th month and the 4th birthday of your child, we will invite you for a conversation to talk more in-depth with us about your child. We prepare ourselves by filling in an observational report about your child. This method is called ‘Wellbeing’. We use it to assess how your child is feeling and how they are doing in their group. You receive the wellbeing report by email and if you want, you can share this with the primary school and after-school day care.
Is your child attending after-school day care? In order to guide your child’s development properly, we observe your child on a daily basis. Around their 5th and 6th birthday, your mentor will fill in a ‘Wellbeing’ form together with your child. Depending on what you want we can have a conversation about this and you will receive the Wellbeing report.
Worried about your child
We have adequate knowledge about the different stages of child development to notice it when there are developmental problems. Sometimes we are worried about a child. This can be caused by clear signals such as starting to walk very late, or an exceptionally late speech development. However, there can also be different, and less concrete worries. We will always let you know about this.
Pedagogical staff will always discuss their worries about a child first with their manager. Afterwards, we will contact the parents to have a conversation about our observations. After all, we want what’s best for the child. We discuss what extra care we can offer. This care has to fit with the need of the child and the possibilities that we can offer. The manager can give an advice to call in expert help if we think this is important and essential for the development of the child.
Do you want to know more about what we do to offer adequate care? You can ask the Cluster Manager of your location about our procedure.
Parent night; interesting and fun!
All day care centers organize an information evening for all parents once every year. We will show you videos of special moments and will cover several pedagogical topics. And the evening often ends pleasantly with some drinks. That’s fun as well!
Parent committee
Every location has its own parent committee. The parent committee acts as a sounding board and has advisory rights on several topics. The house rules and the names and phone numbers of the parent committee members are available at the location. When we are looking for new members, the Cluster Manager will send an email about this.
Are you satisfied?
We think it’s important that you are satisfied about the day care. Is there something you aren’t satisfied about? We’d love to hear from you! You can comment on the day-to-day business to our pedagogical staff or the Cluster Manager. Do you have a complaint to make? Our complaints procedure is available at the location and Op Stoom is part of the Geschillencommissie Kinderopvang en Peuterspeelzalen (Disputes Committee for Childcare and Playgroups), an independent complaints committee.
A day at Op Stoom
We think it’s important that children get the time and space they need to do things at their own pace. That’s why patience is our magic word, day in, day out 🙂 Some children can do arts and crafts for hours on end, whereas other children have a shorter attention arc and want to run and climb a lot. Our schedule and duration of activities are flexible to allow for these differences.
At the day nursery
Although we follow the pace of your child, the morning and day contain some fixed moments. This gives children something to hold on to. We open the morning together. And of course Bear joins us! He is pictured on the daily schedule cards that help children to understand the day. In between there is a fixed moment to sit at the table and have something to drink and eat. In these moments, we sing songs, tell stories, or read from a book. We play outside together every day, unless the weather really doesn’t allow it. But of course we can handle a bit of rain! And who knows, a Traveler may visit us!
Preschool day care
After school we start the afternoon with some fruit and something to drink. Your child won’t have to sit still for a long time, because after that it’s playtime. We offer a lot – cooking, theatre, nature, crafts, technology, sports & games – but your child decides. Nothing is mandatory and doing nothing is allowed as well! Regularly there are Travelers who visit us, and we go out a lot. Ice skating in the winter, surfing lessons in the summer, or a holiday trip to the museum. What else? Building sky-high towers with Kapla, organizing a mini playback show, playing some soccer in the schoolyard or getting crafty with industrial waste material. Lots to choose from!
Invoices and pricing
The child care costs are collected monthly in advance (on the last day of the previous month). Additional costs, for example because of an extra child care day, will be collected immediately after you receive the invoice. You will receive the invoice by email. The Op Stoom App and the Mijn Op Stoom area on the website, can show you a complete overview. Op Stoom revises its prices every calendar year. When the prices of the following year are known, we will let you know by email.
Child care allowance
You can request a child care allowance via www.toeslagen.nl. Make sure that you apply for your allowance within three months after your childcare has started! Otherwise you miss out on your child care allowance.
Does the day care change? Has the number of child care hours expanded or did the location change? To keep receiving a child care allowance, you have to report these changes to the Belastingdienst within four weeks. Don’t wait with this. Otherwise you miss out on your child care allowance, or you’ll have to repay the excess amount at a later moment.
Celebrations
If your child has its birthday, it is of course celebrated. We sing for the birthday boy or girl and at the day nursery your child may hand out a small snack. We advise something small and healthy. We also pay attention to other holidays and festivities, such as Sinterklaas, Christmas, Easter and the Kinderboekenweek (Children’s Book Week).
Code of conduct for sexuality
Children are curious researchers and playfully discover their own body. In dealing with other children and pedagogical staff, they also learn what behavior is acceptable and what the personal boundaries of other people are.
Clear agreements
We have made clear agreements to protect the children. Besides, these agreements prevent our employees from unintentionally ending up in unpleasant situations. Because everyone has their own personal views about what is and isn’t allowed when raising children with regard to sexual behavior, we think it’s important to provide a framework. This places the concept of sexuality in a broad context and covers all kinds of topics in the field of sexuality that may be sensitive.
No sexual comments
We don’t want erotic or sexual messages or jokes in the workplace. Our employees are aware of being an example for others.
Sexual advancement of a child
We don’t respond to ‘sexual’ approaches by a child. This is always reported to the Cluster Manager.
Prohibition of sexual contact
Sexual acts and intimate relationships in contact with a child are under no circumstances permitted and we consider them to be sexual abuse.
Questions from children about sexuality
We listen to the questions children ask about sexuality. We answer them seriously or indicate to the child that it is good to discuss this question with one of the parents.
Challenging questions about the private life of the pedagogical employee in the field of sexuality
We do not go along with the personal and challenging atmosphere and indicate that a serious answer is possible or that the question is not desirable.
Using ‘dirty words’
We indicate that we don’t use dirty words and choose to indicate that this is serious, set boundaries or do not go into the subject. We do not use foul language ourselves.
Names of the genitals of the children
Within Op Stoom the terms penis, willy, and vagina are used. We do not use other terms.
Taking children on your lap and hugging them
We believe that children should be allowed to sit on your lap. In after-school day care, this will only happen when initiated by the child. That also applies to cuddling. Olden children (from about 8 years) can come and hang with us, but we don’t take them on our lap. In one-on-one situations at the after-school day care (alone in a room), we won’t let a child sit on our lap.
Helping children to wipe their buttocks
We guide children to do it themselves by explaining them how to do it. If they do need help, we provide it.
Changing babies and toddlers
Both men and women change children.
Comments about the child’s private life with regard to parents and sexuality.
In this case, we do not ask questions, out of respect for the privacy of the parents. We change the topic of the conversation, out of respect and to clear the air if there’s a charged atmosphere.
Children who talk about sex in a challenging way amongst themselves
We offer children the opportunity to ‘just’ talk about it. If a charged atmosphere remains, we will stop the conversation.
Children playing doctors and nurses
It’s allowed to play doctors and nurses, but the clothes stay on.
Children who show each other something ‘naked’
We don’t punish it, but we explain that this is not supposed to happen.
Children don’t play naked
When children play with water (or paint), they will not be naked. They will always wear at least their underpants or a diaper.
Pedagogical staff doesn’t wear bikinis
In warm weather, we often play outside with water. Our female employees don’t wear bikinis, but wear at least a tank top and shorts or a skirt. The men also keep a shirt (and pants) on. The only exception is when there is a trip to the beach.
Swimming lessons
During swimming lessons, a female pedagogical employee helps the children to dry themselves off and change clothes.
Hygiene
From May 11, we work differently than before to offer protection for everyone and prevent the spread of the corona virus. On opstoom.nl/coronavirus you can find our protocol in witch you read the measures we take, that have been set by the RIVM, supplemented with measures from Op Stoom. You can ask the Cluster Manager for a copy of our standard policy for Safety and Health and its evaluation.
In order to make playing comfortable and safe, the room has to be clean and fresh. All fabrics and sofa covers can be washed and the floor is easy to clean. We clean the room daily: we vacuum and mop the floor, and keep the bathroom and kitchen clean. We wash the playpen toys and rugs regularly. Bed linen is washed every week and babies have their own fixed place to sleep. We also employ several cleaners. They make sure that everything is thoroughly cleaned at all our locations on a regular basis.
Shoes and slippers
Because small children crawl and play on the floor at day care, the children take off their shoes (and preferably wear slippers instead). The adults that come in, wear overshoes. It’s not allowed to enter the group in bare feet. Our staff wears indoor shoes.
Personal hygiene
We pay attention to the personal hygiene of the children. When the children are still very small, we take care of that. As they get older, we teach them to wash their hands themselves after going to the bathroom and before eating. Dirty noses are wiped with tissues.
Child abuse reporting code
Op Stoom works with the Meldcode huiselijk geweld en kindermishandeling (Reporting Code for Domestic Violence and Child Abuse). You can read this code here(Dutch). If we are worried about your child, we will discuss this with you as soon as possible. If necessary, we then assess together what care we can organize together to improve the situation. If you have any questions, you can contact the Cluster Manager.
Opening hours
Day nursery
The nursery is open from 7.30 am to 6.30 pm. You can bring your child between 7.30 and 9.00. You can pick up your child between 16.30 and 18.30. Do you want to bring or pick up your child outside these hours? Please discuss this with the employees of the group.
After-school day care
When school closes, the BSO (After-school day care) opens until 6.30 pm. During holidays and study days, it’s even open from 7.30 am to 6.30 am. During the holidays, you can bring your child between 7.30 and 10.00. You can pick up your child again between 16.30 and 18.30. If you consult with us, it’s always possible to bring your child at a later time, or to pick it up earlier. A few BSOs offer preschool care.
Toddler day care
The opening hours of our toddler day care vary. You can find them on the toddler location pages on our website.
Closed days
Op Stoom is closed with the Holidays, the day after Ascension Day, and between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. You can find the dates here.
Absent?
Is your child ill? Spending a day with the grandparents? Or are you on holiday? We appreciate it very much if you can inform us about this asap. You can do this in the Op Stoom App.
Termination
The notice period of Op Stoom is 1 month, also for a partial termination of the contract. You can terminate the contract any time of the month via planning@opstoom.nl. Are you terminating in the second half of the month? In that case, the financial settlement of the cancellation will take place only in the following month (because of the pre-authorized payment). So suppose that you cancel the day care on 17 February, then you will still pay for the whole month of March at the end of February. At the end of March, you receive a credit invoice and we will repay excess day care costs.
Cancelling before the day care
Did you already sign the contract, but does one of your parents suddenly offer to babysit? Op Stoom has a minimum order of 1 month, so unfortunately you will have to pay this. Remember to cancel the day care contract before the first day.
Stopped working or lost your job?
After your last workday, you still retain the right to a child care allowance for 3 more months. If you purchase less child care then your working days, you may no longer have a right to the child care allowance. We can give you more information about this and think about solutions. You can reach us via planning@opstoom.nl or 023 – 2302004.
Pedagogical policy and quality officer
The pedagogical policy and quality officer contributes to the preparation, development and implementation of our (pedagogical) policy. She checks the quality of the implementation of the (pedagogical) policy by means of an internal audit procedure, and helps to improve it when necessary.
The legally required amount of time commitment of the pedagogical policy and quality officer is evenly distributed among all our day care centers. If you want more information, feel free to ask the Cluster Manager about it.
Pedagogical vision
Pedagogical vision
Op Stoom is a bit peculiar and we like that! We are also quite outspoken about our pedagogical approach. For example, the fact that we value the process of what your child does and learns over what your child produces. And that we literally give your baby space. We offer loving care and pay attention to the development of your child in a playful way. We think that this is the only way that day care can matter in children’s lives.
We guide our employees thoroughly in mastering our pedagogy. That’s why we employ pedagogical coaches. In collaboration with managers, they coach new employees in the workplace, train new employees and provide training about our pedagogy.
Following the rules
Of course we also adhere to the Wet Kinderopvang (Childcare Act). We guide your child based on the pedagogical goals that this law describes and give it our own enthusiastic twist.
What does the Wet Kinderopvang say? The law provides us with pedagogical goals, such as offering children emotional safety, stimulating personal and social development, and imparting norms and values to children. It also prescribes that a day care group may consist of a maximum of 16 children, who are supervised by 3 pedagogical employees.
The toddler care group or the toddler plus group of a day care center consists of a maximum of 16 children with 2 pedagogical employees.
At the after-school day care where we care for children aged 4 to 12, the staff-child ratio is 1 to 11. Depending on the age group of children who are being cared for, the ratio can vary between from 1 to 10 (4 to 6 year-olds) to 1 to 12 (7 to 12 year-olds).
Reading more about our vision
Op Stoom’s pedagogical vision is set out in two parts. One part is about 0 to 4 year-olds, and the other part is about 4 to 12 year-olds. All our employees are trained regularly to work according to this vision. You can read the pedagogical vision here. Do you want to know how the pedagogical policy is implemented at your location specifically? Feel free to ask your Cluster Manager about this.
Pedagogical coach
Our employees have a lot to offer. We guide them extensively in mastering our pedagogy (which is quite outspoken, as you can read). That’s why we employ pedagogical coaches. In collaboration with the managers, they coach all our employees in the workplace, train new employees, and provide training on our pedagogy.
The hours for coaching are used when they are needed, with the following aim: ‘All of our pedagogical employees are coached in 2020.’ If you want to know more about this, feel free to ask the Cluster Manager.
Playing risky
It is important that children are allowed to discover the world around them. Children discover themselves what they can and dare to do. Sometimes it is more than we think! They always want to try new things and go a bit further. Makes sense. That’s part of a healthy development! Children are curious and when you’re allowed to take some risk, you develop courage. You feel more and more confident. Taking some risk contributes to children’s positive self-image. Like: ‘Yes, I can do it!’
Why taking risks is so good
In the vast majority of cases, children themselves estimate well what they can already handle and what they dare to do. Climbing up a hill if you are a toddler, taking the jar of peanut butter from the kitchen yourself and putting it on the table in the toddler group or trying to jump to that higher tree trunk during after-school care. If it works, then of course you are proud! Such a moment of success increases your autonomy and confidence. And if it doesn’t work? Then we take a new pot from the cupboard together. And that scratch on your knee, we put a plaster on it. Don’t worry, you learned something all the same!
It all depends on good guidance
Children like to move a lot, and we try to accommodate to that as much as possible. Swinging, climbing, rolling, sliding and jumping are all essential for motor skills, balance, coordination and body awareness. We observe your child closely and are simply close by. We do not intervene out of habit or because of our own fears. We estimate whether your child can do something or whether something can happen and what the consequences can be. We guide them with words, such as ‘Use your hands well’ and ‘Let’s try that again’.
Risks vary by location
We don’t take big risks. We estimate whether the risk is acceptable. That also differs per child. Of course, all our locations and areas meet the legal safety standards. The measures taken differ per location. A day care centre with a large natural garden requires a different approach than a day care centre with a sheltered courtyard. And after-school care, where children are allowed to work with pocket knives, has different rules than after-school care where children play in the playground. Want to know more about this? You can ask the Cluster Manager for the current Health and Safety Policy and evaluations.
School holidays and study days
As soon as the schools close their doors, the holiday program starts at our BSOs (after-school day care). During the holidays you do fun things, that is what holidays are for! We gather all our specialists in the field of music, dance, art, nature and robotics to put together a spectacular day program. Ranging from a beauty day to building rafts and burning a fire. And from a skateboard clinic to building and programming robots. And we also like going out regularly. To a nature reserve or to the beekeeper. Even the House of Representatives can count on a visit from our children during the holidays!
Of course, the different ages are taken into account. There are 4+, 7+ and 9+ activities.
People over 7 can also opt for an activity at a different location. You can register via vakantie.opstoom.nl. One tip: be quick, because there is limited space!
During study days, we are also open from 7.30 am and your child can count on a great day!
Closed
Op Stoom is closed on: New Year’s Day, Easter Monday, King’s Day, Ascension Day and the day after, Whit Monday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. You receive day care points for missed days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve and the day after Ascension Day. Public holidays can’t be compensated.
Safety & health
From 11 May, we will work differently than before to offer protection for everyone and prevent the spread of the corona virus. In our protocol witch you can find on opstoom.nl/coronavirus you can read the measures we are taking that have been set by the RIVM, supplemented with measures by Op Stoom. You can ask the Cluster Manager for our regular Health and Safety policy and its evaluation.
If someone else comes to pick up your child
If your child will be picked up by someone else, we kindly ask you to inform us about this. We don’t give your child to people we don’t know.
Children’s illnesses
If children have a childhood illness that is contagious, we determine, based on the guidelines of the GGD, whether your child can come to the day care. These guidelines can be found in the KIDDI App of the RIVM. This app is available for smartphones and tablets and can also be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play Store. Are you not sure whether you can bring your child? Then please contact the pedagogical staff.
Brrr… head lice
Having head lice is of course not a disease, but due to the risk of infection we expect employees to be informed when your child has head lice. When it has been treated, your child can come to the day care again. Do we detect head lice on your child? Then we discuss together whether you can come to pick up your child or not.
Giving medicines
If your child needs medication, this can be given by them in consultation with the pedagogical staff. As a parent you remain responsible yourself. We therefore ask you to fill in a ‘Statement of medicine use’.
Providing first aid
There are sufficient pedagogical employees present who have knowledge of emergency responses and child first aid. If an accident occurs, we will seek medical assistance if necessary. This may mean that we go to the emergency room, that we call and ambulance, or that, after we have discussed this together, you will visit the emergency room or house doctor. Of course we inform you as soon as possible of situations like these.
Familiar faces
At Op Stoom, qualified employees have a pedagogical diploma and a Certificate of Good Conduct. A mixed company of nice, sweet, crazy, adventurous men and women. And all of them crazy about children! They see the children and know precisely how to give attention and what activities to offer. A pat on the head, making time for a chat and getting to work together. Children enjoy that.
Who do you meet in the group?
The pedagogical staff is present on fixed days, so your child always sees familiar faces. In addition, there are permanent flex workers who step in during vacation or illness of the pedagogical employees. They fall under a cluster of locations, so that they too are familiar faces for your child. In some cases one of our on-call employees is deployed. On-call employees are not part of a cluster.
You can also meet our Travelers with mega-über-special activities for children. Your child keeps meeting different Travelers because they visit all our locations to inspire children with special activities.
Accredited training company
Op Stoom is a recognized training company. Interns follow the three-year training to become a pedagogical employee. They are never alone in the group and are accompanied by a permanent employee. From the second year, an intern may replace a colleague at their own internship location during illness or vacation. Do not be surprised if you meet someone from a completely different professional group, who – in our own Op Stoom Class – is training to become a pedagogical employee.
Permanent employees
There are permanent employees in your child’s group. That is nice and familiar. We find that especially important for babies. That’s why we make sure that your baby always sees one of the two familiar faces assigned to them on their day care days. In addition, we try to ensure that one of the familiar faces is present during the vacation or illness of a pedagogical employee
Team occupation
When creating the schedule, we take into account the required staff-child ratio. On a day, we deviate no more than 3 hours from the required ratio, which is permitted by law. This can happen between 7.30 am and 9.00 am, between 1.00 pm and 3.00 pm and from 5.00 pm until closing time. This can be the case when two or three pedagogical employees work in the group, and we take a break one by one.
We register the pick-up and drop-off times for the children. Do you want to know when the team of your child’s group deviates from the standard staff-child ratio? Feel free to ask your Cluster Manager for information about your location.
Team occupation at the day care centre
The group consists of a maximum of 16 children with a maximum of 3 pedagogical employees. A ratio of 1 to 3 applies to zero-year-olds.
Team occupation toddler care
The group consists of a maximum of 16 children with 2 employees or a maximum of 8 children with 1 employee.
Team occupation after-school care
The pedagogical staff works various shifts during opening hours. When making the schedule, we take into account the required staff-child ratio. For children from 4 to 6 years old, the ratio is 1 pedagogical employee on 10 children and for children from 7 to 12 years old, it is 1 pedagogical employee on 12 children.
A mentor for your child
Your child has a mentor with us. This is a pedagogical employee who preferably works on all day care days of your child. You will hear who the mentor is during the intake interview and a list will be posted at your location. Of course all employees keep an eye on your child, but the mentor of your child specifically pays attention to the development and well-being of your child. How does your child feel with us, how does it develop and who does it like to play with? The mentor is also your first point of contact and will take action if there are any particularities in your child’s development.
Four eyes principle
Since 1 July 2013, it is legally required for day care centers to follow the four eyes principle. At Op Stoom, toddler care also follows this principle. The four eyes principle means that day care locations must be set up in such a way that the pedagogical employee or pedagogical employee in training can only work while he or she can be seen or heard by another adult.
At Op Stoom this means that at our large locations we are always in the building with several people at the same time. The locations are arranged in such a way that we can see each other at any time: the groups are provided with many see-through options and, for example, have glass doors. This creates an open atmosphere. In addition, the different groups open and close together. And many joint activities are undertaken throughout the day.
We often work in pairs at the smaller locations. These locations are also often visited unannounced by the Cluster Manager, staff members or managers of Op Stoom, employees of the facility team or the nearby after-school day care. In addition, there are sometimes Skype connections between different locations so that they can be structurally connected to each other and thus see and hear each other.
Getting settled
Of course it’s very nice for your child to get used to the pedagogical staff, the other children and the rhythm of the group once or twice before the start of the first contract day. We get it! That’s why this is possible at the day care centers and the after-school day care – depending on the possibilities of the location. The acquaintance days are coordinated with you during the intake interview or by telephone. Is your child going to toddler care? Then there is an intake interview and an introduction on the first morning of day care. We then discuss with you whether your child will be staying all morning or whether we will build it up slowly. But usually the toddlers don’t want to go home anymore!
Cancelling, requests and day care points
At Op Stoom we use day care points. If you cancel a contractual child care day, you receive day care points. When requesting an incidental child care day, you can pay for this with your collected day care points.
Please understand that receiving day care points is a service that Op Stoom chooses to offer, and not a right.
Whether we can approve a requested incidental child care day, depends on the staff-child ratio and the availability of staff in the group. Unfortunately this means we cannot guarantee that every request will be approved.
You can easily cancel and request child care days in the Op Stoom App, which is available in the App Store and the Google Play Store. For questions you can contact the planning department: aanvragen@opstoom.nl
Cancelling day care and receiving day care points
You can cancel a child care day in the Op Stoom app under ‘Cancelling and requesting day care’. Don’t forget to confirm your request in the shopping cart.
To receive day care points, you will have to cancel your child’s day care at least one day before at 12.00 in the Op Stoom App. In this way, we can still adjust to the cancellation. If you cancel at a later moment, for example because your child falls ill or suddenly doesn’t need day care, you will not receive day care points.
The day care points can only be used for the same child and will last for 3 months after cancelling.
For Holidays on contractual days, you don’t receive day care points. For other contractual days on which Op Stoom is closed, such as the days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, and the Friday after Ascension Day, you do receive day care points. They will be granted in the week after the Holiday(s).
- Day care types such as early and late day care, incidental day care, lunch-time care and meals are excluded from day care points.
- Do you need day care on a day that you already cancelled? Go to the Op Stoom App and make a request for this day. We’ll check if the spot is still available.
- Is your request not yet approved? Then you can cancel it by emailing to aanvragen@opstoom.nl
Requesting child care day(s)
You can request a child care day in the Op Stoom App under ‘Cancelling and requesting day care’.
Our planners assess your request as soon as possible, at the latest within three workdays. Requests are assessed between 7.30 and 17.15. Please understand that we can only provide day care for your child after the request has been approved. ‘Requests’ shows your request’s status.
Your request will be approved if there is enough space in a location, in accordance with the laws and regulations. This means that there is a maximum amount of children at a location, and that the staff-child ratio is respected. The staff-child ratio differs between age groups. For this reason it is possible that your request for a toddler will be approved, even though your request for a baby will not be approved.
If your request for an alternative child care day has been declined, you can try again at a later moment. We understand the wish for a waiting list, but given the extra work (and costs) of this and given the fact that we offer the possibility of making up for cancelled days as a service, we choose not to work with a waiting list.
You can pay for the extra day with your day care points or by invoice (in the case of insufficient day care points). It’s not possible to pay a part with the day care points, and a part by invoice. Neither is it possible to pay with day care points that will be acquired at a later point.
- When making requests for several children, it is possible to let us know that you only want to use the extra child care day if all requests are approved.
- You cannot switch around an approved request. If you will not use the extra child care day, you will not receive day care points for this.
Day care points
Day care points are tied to a day care type. If your child transfers from toddler day care to after-school day care, the day care points that were collected in toddler day care expire. If your child only changes to a different location, the collected day care points remain valid.
When the day care contract ends, the collected day care points expire.
No. Collected day care points will not be reimbursed.
The worth of day care products in points:
Entire day daycare – 100
Entire day preschool (until school closes) – 64
Part of a day daycare (only possible at some locations) – 50
Morning preschool – 32
Entire day – 100
Afternoon – 100
Before school (not possible at every location) – 25
To a different group
Afterschool care (BSO)
Are there no free spots left in your child’s basic group to spend the extra child care day? In that case, it may be possible for your child to go to another group at the same location, if there are more groups there. When requesting the extra day in the app, you can consent to placing your child in another basic group on that day, when necessary. With every request, you will have to give this consent again for that day.
Daycare (KDV)
Are there no free spots left in the usual group to spend the extra child care day? In that case, it may be possible for your child to go to a neighboring group on that day, if there are more groups on that location. For this, we will need your written consent.
Terms and Conditions
The Terms and Conditions of Op Stoom were last amended in January 2019.
You can find them here.
Basic groups
In our BSO (after-school day care), your child has a fixed mentor on the day that they spend there. Besides, your child is part of a fixed group on their child care day. We call this a basic group. A basic group consists of 20, 22 or 24 children – depending on the age – and 2 pedagogical professionals (usually including the mentor of your child). Your child will spend the fixed (table) moments at the after-school day care with this group. The assignment to the groups can be found on the notice board of the location. The composition of children and staff members can vary depending on the day of the week. And sometimes your child will be placed in a different basic group, for example when spending an extra child care day. When requesting this day, you can consent in the app to your child being placed in a different group, when necessary. This consent will be needed every time you make a new request.
During the holidays or when we have fewer children, we may combine different basic groups.
Playing freely
When arriving at the BSO (after-school day care), your child will go to its own basic group (your child knows what their basic group is, and of course we help if that’s not the case). Together we will eat and drink something and your child can tell us a bit about their day. We will also discuss the activities of that day. Besides these fixed moments, your child is free to participate in activities, play with children from another basic group, or sit by itself on the couch with a book.
How is your child doing?
We think it’s important that you feel comfortable bringing your child to us. We want to help creating this trust. By continuing to talk to you, by telling you what we have planned for the day, and by letting you know how your child is doing. We initiate conversations and are happy to talk to you if you want this. All of us know what is going on in your child’s world and what is the best way to respond to this.
Keeping you up to date…
When you bring your child, we can always exchange information. When you pick up your child, we will let you know what they have been up to. This can be about small nice things that caught our eye, but also the development of your child. And we’ll keep you up to date about playing with other children, eating and drinking, and care aspects.
Always in touch
You can reach us all day by phone and email. On the notice board in the hallyway you can read what we have been up to that day. Going to the library or a visit from a Traveler? You will know about it! Besides, the Cluster Manager regularly sends a message through the app with information about the fun things we are doing, the staff, important dates and other useful information.
The Op Stoom App lets you cancel or request child care days for your child, check the status of your request(s) and day care points, and view the invoices and annual statement. And because you probably don’t want to miss a moment, you will regularly receive photos of your child(ren). You can then easily download and share them. Isn’t that awesome?! You can download our app in the App Store and Google Play Store.
Your child’s development
Is your child going to the day nursery? We will always have a conversation with you about them when you bring or pick up your child. Besides, during approximately the 18th month, the 32th month and the 4th birthday of your child, we will invite you for a conversation to talk more in-depth with us about your child. We prepare ourselves by filling in an observational report about your child. This method is called ‘Wellbeing’. We use it to assess how your child is feeling and how they are doing in their group. You receive the wellbeing report by email and if you want, you can share this with the primary school and after-school day care.
Is your child attending after-school day care? In order to guide your child’s development properly, we observe your child on a daily basis. Around their 5th and 6th birthday, your mentor will fill in a ‘Wellbeing’ form together with your child. Depending on what you want we can have a conversation about this and you will receive the Wellbeing report.
Worried about your child
We have adequate knowledge about the different stages of child development to notice it when there are developmental problems. Sometimes we are worried about a child. This can be caused by clear signals such as starting to walk very late, or an exceptionally late speech development. However, there can also be different, and less concrete worries. We will always let you know about this.
Pedagogical staff will always discuss their worries about a child first with their manager. Afterwards, we will contact the parents to have a conversation about our observations. After all, we want what’s best for the child. We discuss what extra care we can offer. This care has to fit with the need of the child and the possibilities that we can offer. The manager can give an advice to call in expert help if we think this is important and essential for the development of the child.
Do you want to know more about what we do to offer adequate care? You can ask the Cluster Manager of your location about our procedure.
Parent night; interesting and fun!
All day care centers organize an information evening for all parents once every year. We will show you videos of special moments and will cover several pedagogical topics. And the evening often ends pleasantly with some drinks. That’s fun as well!
Parent committee
Every location has its own parent committee. The parent committee acts as a sounding board and has advisory rights on several topics. The house rules and the names and phone numbers of the parent committee members are available at the location. When we are looking for new members, the Cluster Manager will send an email about this.
Are you satisfied?
We think it’s important that you are satisfied about the day care. Is there something you aren’t satisfied about? We’d love to hear from you! You can comment on the day-to-day business to our pedagogical staff or the Cluster Manager. Do you have a complaint to make? Our complaints procedure is available at the location and Op Stoom is part of the Geschillencommissie Kinderopvang en Peuterspeelzalen (Disputes Committee for Childcare and Playgroups), an independent complaints committee.
A day at Op Stoom
We think it’s important that children get the time and space they need to do things at their own pace. That’s why patience is our magic word, day in, day out 🙂 Some children can do arts and crafts for hours on end, whereas other children have a shorter attention arc and want to run and climb a lot. Our schedule and duration of activities are flexible to allow for these differences.
At the day nursery
Although we follow the pace of your child, the morning and day contain some fixed moments. This gives children something to hold on to. We open the morning together. And of course Bear joins us! He is pictured on the daily schedule cards that help children to understand the day. In between there is a fixed moment to sit at the table and have something to drink and eat. In these moments, we sing songs, tell stories, or read from a book. We play outside together every day, unless the weather really doesn’t allow it. But of course we can handle a bit of rain! And who knows, a Traveler may visit us!
Preschool day care
After school we start the afternoon with some fruit and something to drink. Your child won’t have to sit still for a long time, because after that it’s playtime. We offer a lot – cooking, theatre, nature, crafts, technology, sports & games – but your child decides. Nothing is mandatory and doing nothing is allowed as well! Regularly there are Travelers who visit us, and we go out a lot. Ice skating in the winter, surfing lessons in the summer, or a holiday trip to the museum. What else? Building sky-high towers with Kapla, organizing a mini playback show, playing some soccer in the schoolyard or getting crafty with industrial waste material. Lots to choose from!
Invoices and pricing
The child care costs are collected monthly in advance (on the last day of the previous month). Additional costs, for example because of an extra child care day, will be collected immediately after you receive the invoice. You will receive the invoice by email. The Op Stoom App and the Mijn Op Stoom area on the website, can show you a complete overview. Op Stoom revises its prices every calendar year. When the prices of the following year are known, we will let you know by email.
Child care allowance
You can request a child care allowance via www.toeslagen.nl. Make sure that you apply for your allowance within three months after your childcare has started! Otherwise you miss out on your child care allowance.
Does the day care change? Has the number of child care hours expanded or did the location change? To keep receiving a child care allowance, you have to report these changes to the Belastingdienst within four weeks. Don’t wait with this. Otherwise you miss out on your child care allowance, or you’ll have to repay the excess amount at a later moment.
Celebrations
If your child has its birthday, it is of course celebrated. We sing for the birthday boy or girl and at the day nursery your child may hand out a small snack. We advise something small and healthy. We also pay attention to other holidays and festivities, such as Sinterklaas, Christmas, Easter and the Kinderboekenweek (Children’s Book Week).
Code of conduct for sexuality
Children are curious researchers and playfully discover their own body. In dealing with other children and pedagogical staff, they also learn what behavior is acceptable and what the personal boundaries of other people are.
Clear agreements
We have made clear agreements to protect the children. Besides, these agreements prevent our employees from unintentionally ending up in unpleasant situations. Because everyone has their own personal views about what is and isn’t allowed when raising children with regard to sexual behavior, we think it’s important to provide a framework. This places the concept of sexuality in a broad context and covers all kinds of topics in the field of sexuality that may be sensitive.
No sexual comments
We don’t want erotic or sexual messages or jokes in the workplace. Our employees are aware of being an example for others.
Sexual advancement of a child
We don’t respond to ‘sexual’ approaches by a child. This is always reported to the Cluster Manager.
Prohibition of sexual contact
Sexual acts and intimate relationships in contact with a child are under no circumstances permitted and we consider them to be sexual abuse.
Questions from children about sexuality
We listen to the questions children ask about sexuality. We answer them seriously or indicate to the child that it is good to discuss this question with one of the parents.
Challenging questions about the private life of the pedagogical employee in the field of sexuality
We do not go along with the personal and challenging atmosphere and indicate that a serious answer is possible or that the question is not desirable.
Using ‘dirty words’
We indicate that we don’t use dirty words and choose to indicate that this is serious, set boundaries or do not go into the subject. We do not use foul language ourselves.
Names of the genitals of the children
Within Op Stoom the terms penis, willy, and vagina are used. We do not use other terms.
Taking children on your lap and hugging them
We believe that children should be allowed to sit on your lap. In after-school day care, this will only happen when initiated by the child. That also applies to cuddling. Olden children (from about 8 years) can come and hang with us, but we don’t take them on our lap. In one-on-one situations at the after-school day care (alone in a room), we won’t let a child sit on our lap.
Helping children to wipe their buttocks
We guide children to do it themselves by explaining them how to do it. If they do need help, we provide it.
Changing babies and toddlers
Both men and women change children.
Comments about the child’s private life with regard to parents and sexuality.
In this case, we do not ask questions, out of respect for the privacy of the parents. We change the topic of the conversation, out of respect and to clear the air if there’s a charged atmosphere.
Children who talk about sex in a challenging way amongst themselves
We offer children the opportunity to ‘just’ talk about it. If a charged atmosphere remains, we will stop the conversation.
Children playing doctors and nurses
It’s allowed to play doctors and nurses, but the clothes stay on.
Children who show each other something ‘naked’
We don’t punish it, but we explain that this is not supposed to happen.
Children don’t play naked
When children play with water (or paint), they will not be naked. They will always wear at least their underpants or a diaper.
Pedagogical staff doesn’t wear bikinis
In warm weather, we often play outside with water. Our female employees don’t wear bikinis, but wear at least a tank top and shorts or a skirt. The men also keep a shirt (and pants) on. The only exception is when there is a trip to the beach.
Swimming lessons
During swimming lessons, a female pedagogical employee helps the children to dry themselves off and change clothes.
Hygiene
From May 11, we work differently than before to offer protection for everyone and prevent the spread of the corona virus. On opstoom.nl/coronavirus you can find our protocol in witch you read the measures we take, that have been set by the RIVM, supplemented with measures from Op Stoom. You can ask the Cluster Manager for a copy of our standard policy for Safety and Health and its evaluation.
In order to make playing comfortable and safe, the room has to be clean and fresh. All fabrics and sofa covers can be washed and the floor is easy to clean. We clean the room daily: we vacuum and mop the floor, and keep the bathroom and kitchen clean. We wash the playpen toys and rugs regularly. Bed linen is washed every week and babies have their own fixed place to sleep. We also employ several cleaners. They make sure that everything is thoroughly cleaned at all our locations on a regular basis.
Shoes and slippers
Because small children crawl and play on the floor at day care, the children take off their shoes (and preferably wear slippers instead). The adults that come in, wear overshoes. It’s not allowed to enter the group in bare feet. Our staff wears indoor shoes.
Personal hygiene
We pay attention to the personal hygiene of the children. When the children are still very small, we take care of that. As they get older, we teach them to wash their hands themselves after going to the bathroom and before eating. Dirty noses are wiped with tissues.
Child abuse reporting code
Op Stoom works with the Meldcode huiselijk geweld en kindermishandeling (Reporting Code for Domestic Violence and Child Abuse). You can read this code here(Dutch). If we are worried about your child, we will discuss this with you as soon as possible. If necessary, we then assess together what care we can organize together to improve the situation. If you have any questions, you can contact the Cluster Manager.
Opening hours
Day nursery
The nursery is open from 7.30 am to 6.30 pm. You can bring your child between 7.30 and 9.00. You can pick up your child between 16.30 and 18.30. Do you want to bring or pick up your child outside these hours? Please discuss this with the employees of the group.
After-school day care
When school closes, the BSO (After-school day care) opens until 6.30 pm. During holidays and study days, it’s even open from 7.30 am to 6.30 am. During the holidays, you can bring your child between 7.30 and 10.00. You can pick up your child again between 16.30 and 18.30. If you consult with us, it’s always possible to bring your child at a later time, or to pick it up earlier. A few BSOs offer preschool care.
Toddler day care
The opening hours of our toddler day care vary. You can find them on the toddler location pages on our website.
Closed days
Op Stoom is closed with the Holidays, the day after Ascension Day, and between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. You can find the dates here.
Absent?
Is your child ill? Spending a day with the grandparents? Or are you on holiday? We appreciate it very much if you can inform us about this asap. You can do this in the Op Stoom App.
Termination
The notice period of Op Stoom is 1 month, also for a partial termination of the contract. You can terminate the contract any time of the month via planning@opstoom.nl. Are you terminating in the second half of the month? In that case, the financial settlement of the cancellation will take place only in the following month (because of the pre-authorized payment). So suppose that you cancel the day care on 17 February, then you will still pay for the whole month of March at the end of February. At the end of March, you receive a credit invoice and we will repay excess day care costs.
Cancelling before the day care
Did you already sign the contract, but does one of your parents suddenly offer to babysit? Op Stoom has a minimum order of 1 month, so unfortunately you will have to pay this. Remember to cancel the day care contract before the first day.
Stopped working or lost your job?
After your last workday, you still retain the right to a child care allowance for 3 more months. If you purchase less child care then your working days, you may no longer have a right to the child care allowance. We can give you more information about this and think about solutions. You can reach us via planning@opstoom.nl or 023 – 2302004.
Pedagogical policy and quality officer
The pedagogical policy and quality officer contributes to the preparation, development and implementation of our (pedagogical) policy. She checks the quality of the implementation of the (pedagogical) policy by means of an internal audit procedure, and helps to improve it when necessary.
The legally required amount of time commitment of the pedagogical policy and quality officer is evenly distributed among all our day care centers. If you want more information, feel free to ask the Cluster Manager about it.
Pedagogical vision
Pedagogical vision
Op Stoom is a bit peculiar and we like that! We are also quite outspoken about our pedagogical approach. For example, the fact that we value the process of what your child does and learns over what your child produces. And that we literally give your baby space. We offer loving care and pay attention to the development of your child in a playful way. We think that this is the only way that day care can matter in children’s lives.
We guide our employees thoroughly in mastering our pedagogy. That’s why we employ pedagogical coaches. In collaboration with managers, they coach new employees in the workplace, train new employees and provide training about our pedagogy.
Following the rules
Of course we also adhere to the Wet Kinderopvang (Childcare Act). We guide your child based on the pedagogical goals that this law describes and give it our own enthusiastic twist.
What does the Wet Kinderopvang say? The law provides us with pedagogical goals, such as offering children emotional safety, stimulating personal and social development, and imparting norms and values to children. It also prescribes that a day care group may consist of a maximum of 16 children, who are supervised by 3 pedagogical employees.
The toddler care group or the toddler plus group of a day care center consists of a maximum of 16 children with 2 pedagogical employees.
At the after-school day care where we care for children aged 4 to 12, the staff-child ratio is 1 to 11. Depending on the age group of children who are being cared for, the ratio can vary between from 1 to 10 (4 to 6 year-olds) to 1 to 12 (7 to 12 year-olds).
Reading more about our vision
Op Stoom’s pedagogical vision is set out in two parts. One part is about 0 to 4 year-olds, and the other part is about 4 to 12 year-olds. All our employees are trained regularly to work according to this vision. You can read the pedagogical vision here. Do you want to know how the pedagogical policy is implemented at your location specifically? Feel free to ask your Cluster Manager about this.
Pedagogical coach
Our employees have a lot to offer. We guide them extensively in mastering our pedagogy (which is quite outspoken, as you can read). That’s why we employ pedagogical coaches. In collaboration with the managers, they coach all our employees in the workplace, train new employees, and provide training on our pedagogy.
The hours for coaching are used when they are needed, with the following aim: ‘All of our pedagogical employees are coached in 2020.’ If you want to know more about this, feel free to ask the Cluster Manager.
Playing risky
It is important that children are allowed to discover the world around them. Children discover themselves what they can and dare to do. Sometimes it is more than we think! They always want to try new things and go a bit further. Makes sense. That’s part of a healthy development! Children are curious and when you’re allowed to take some risk, you develop courage. You feel more and more confident. Taking some risk contributes to children’s positive self-image. Like: ‘Yes, I can do it!’
Why taking risks is so good
In the vast majority of cases, children themselves estimate well what they can already handle and what they dare to do. Climbing up a hill if you are a toddler, taking the jar of peanut butter from the kitchen yourself and putting it on the table in the toddler group or trying to jump to that higher tree trunk during after-school care. If it works, then of course you are proud! Such a moment of success increases your autonomy and confidence. And if it doesn’t work? Then we take a new pot from the cupboard together. And that scratch on your knee, we put a plaster on it. Don’t worry, you learned something all the same!
It all depends on good guidance
Children like to move a lot, and we try to accommodate to that as much as possible. Swinging, climbing, rolling, sliding and jumping are all essential for motor skills, balance, coordination and body awareness. We observe your child closely and are simply close by. We do not intervene out of habit or because of our own fears. We estimate whether your child can do something or whether something can happen and what the consequences can be. We guide them with words, such as ‘Use your hands well’ and ‘Let’s try that again’.
Risks vary by location
We don’t take big risks. We estimate whether the risk is acceptable. That also differs per child. Of course, all our locations and areas meet the legal safety standards. The measures taken differ per location. A day care centre with a large natural garden requires a different approach than a day care centre with a sheltered courtyard. And after-school care, where children are allowed to work with pocket knives, has different rules than after-school care where children play in the playground. Want to know more about this? You can ask the Cluster Manager for the current Health and Safety Policy and evaluations.
School holidays and study days
As soon as the schools close their doors, the holiday program starts at our BSOs (after-school day care). During the holidays you do fun things, that is what holidays are for! We gather all our specialists in the field of music, dance, art, nature and robotics to put together a spectacular day program. Ranging from a beauty day to building rafts and burning a fire. And from a skateboard clinic to building and programming robots. And we also like going out regularly. To a nature reserve or to the beekeeper. Even the House of Representatives can count on a visit from our children during the holidays!
Of course, the different ages are taken into account. There are 4+, 7+ and 9+ activities.
People over 7 can also opt for an activity at a different location. You can register via vakantie.opstoom.nl. One tip: be quick, because there is limited space!
During study days, we are also open from 7.30 am and your child can count on a great day!
Closed
Op Stoom is closed on: New Year’s Day, Easter Monday, King’s Day, Ascension Day and the day after, Whit Monday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. You receive day care points for missed days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve and the day after Ascension Day. Public holidays can’t be compensated.
Safety & health
From 11 May, we will work differently than before to offer protection for everyone and prevent the spread of the corona virus. In our protocol witch you can find on opstoom.nl/coronavirus you can read the measures we are taking that have been set by the RIVM, supplemented with measures by Op Stoom. You can ask the Cluster Manager for our regular Health and Safety policy and its evaluation.
If someone else comes to pick up your child
If your child will be picked up by someone else, we kindly ask you to inform us about this. We don’t give your child to people we don’t know.
Children’s illnesses
If children have a childhood illness that is contagious, we determine, based on the guidelines of the GGD, whether your child can come to the day care. These guidelines can be found in the KIDDI App of the RIVM. This app is available for smartphones and tablets and can also be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play Store. Are you not sure whether you can bring your child? Then please contact the pedagogical staff.
Brrr… head lice
Having head lice is of course not a disease, but due to the risk of infection we expect employees to be informed when your child has head lice. When it has been treated, your child can come to the day care again. Do we detect head lice on your child? Then we discuss together whether you can come to pick up your child or not.
Giving medicines
If your child needs medication, this can be given by them in consultation with the pedagogical staff. As a parent you remain responsible yourself. We therefore ask you to fill in a ‘Statement of medicine use’.
Providing first aid
There are sufficient pedagogical employees present who have knowledge of emergency responses and child first aid. If an accident occurs, we will seek medical assistance if necessary. This may mean that we go to the emergency room, that we call and ambulance, or that, after we have discussed this together, you will visit the emergency room or house doctor. Of course we inform you as soon as possible of situations like these.
Familiar faces
At Op Stoom, qualified employees have a pedagogical diploma and a Certificate of Good Conduct. A mixed company of nice, sweet, crazy, adventurous men and women. And all of them crazy about children! They see the children and know precisely how to give attention and what activities to offer. A pat on the head, making time for a chat and getting to work together. Children enjoy that.
Who do you meet in the group?
The pedagogical staff is present on fixed days, so your child always sees familiar faces. In addition, there are permanent flex workers who step in during vacation or illness of the pedagogical employees. They fall under a cluster of locations, so that they too are familiar faces for your child. In some cases one of our on-call employees is deployed. On-call employees are not part of a cluster.
You can also meet our Travelers with mega-über-special activities for children. Your child keeps meeting different Travelers because they visit all our locations to inspire children with special activities.
Accredited training company
Op Stoom is a recognized training company. Interns follow the three-year training to become a pedagogical employee. They are never alone in the group and are accompanied by a permanent employee. From the second year, an intern may replace a colleague at their own internship location during illness or vacation. Do not be surprised if you meet someone from a completely different professional group, who – in our own Op Stoom Class – is training to become a pedagogical employee.
Permanent employees
There are permanent employees in your child’s group. That is nice and familiar. We find that especially important for babies. That’s why we make sure that your baby always sees one of the two familiar faces assigned to them on their day care days. In addition, we try to ensure that one of the familiar faces is present during the vacation or illness of a pedagogical employee
Team occupation
When creating the schedule, we take into account the required staff-child ratio. On a day, we deviate no more than 3 hours from the required ratio, which is permitted by law. This can happen between 7.30 am and 9.00 am, between 1.00 pm and 3.00 pm and from 5.00 pm until closing time. This can be the case when two or three pedagogical employees work in the group, and we take a break one by one.
We register the pick-up and drop-off times for the children. Do you want to know when the team of your child’s group deviates from the standard staff-child ratio? Feel free to ask your Cluster Manager for information about your location.
Team occupation at the day care centre
The group consists of a maximum of 16 children with a maximum of 3 pedagogical employees. A ratio of 1 to 3 applies to zero-year-olds.
Team occupation toddler care
The group consists of a maximum of 16 children with 2 employees or a maximum of 8 children with 1 employee.
Team occupation after-school care
The pedagogical staff works various shifts during opening hours. When making the schedule, we take into account the required staff-child ratio. For children from 4 to 6 years old, the ratio is 1 pedagogical employee on 10 children and for children from 7 to 12 years old, it is 1 pedagogical employee on 12 children.
A mentor for your child
Your child has a mentor with us. This is a pedagogical employee who preferably works on all day care days of your child. You will hear who the mentor is during the intake interview and a list will be posted at your location. Of course all employees keep an eye on your child, but the mentor of your child specifically pays attention to the development and well-being of your child. How does your child feel with us, how does it develop and who does it like to play with? The mentor is also your first point of contact and will take action if there are any particularities in your child’s development.
Four eyes principle
Since 1 July 2013, it is legally required for day care centers to follow the four eyes principle. At Op Stoom, toddler care also follows this principle. The four eyes principle means that day care locations must be set up in such a way that the pedagogical employee or pedagogical employee in training can only work while he or she can be seen or heard by another adult.
At Op Stoom this means that at our large locations we are always in the building with several people at the same time. The locations are arranged in such a way that we can see each other at any time: the groups are provided with many see-through options and, for example, have glass doors. This creates an open atmosphere. In addition, the different groups open and close together. And many joint activities are undertaken throughout the day.
We often work in pairs at the smaller locations. These locations are also often visited unannounced by the Cluster Manager, staff members or managers of Op Stoom, employees of the facility team or the nearby after-school day care. In addition, there are sometimes Skype connections between different locations so that they can be structurally connected to each other and thus see and hear each other.
Getting settled
Of course it’s very nice for your child to get used to the pedagogical staff, the other children and the rhythm of the group once or twice before the start of the first contract day. We get it! That’s why this is possible at the day care centers and the after-school day care – depending on the possibilities of the location. The acquaintance days are coordinated with you during the intake interview or by telephone. Is your child going to toddler care? Then there is an intake interview and an introduction on the first morning of day care. We then discuss with you whether your child will be staying all morning or whether we will build it up slowly. But usually the toddlers don’t want to go home anymore!