Public infant day-care centres

There are excellent infant day-care centres, known as crèches/cribs, with fully qualified staff (French/Dutch speaking) that take care of children up to the age of 2½ throughout the country. Priority is usually given to children whose parents work full time. They can be used on a part-time basis if required, but this may vary from commune to commune. The cost varies, according to the family's income bracket. Full details can be obtained from the organisations that supervise and set the national standards.

Office de la Naissance et de l'Enfance (ONE)
Av de la Toison d'Or, 86
1060 Brussels
Tel 02 542 12 11
www.one.be (English)

Kind & -Gezin
Halleportlaan 27
1060 Brussels
Tel 02 533 12 11
Fax 02 544 03 10
www.kindengezin.be  (Dutch only)

In addition, the ONE and the K&G have a list of accepted baby-minders.

Private infant day-care centres

There are also many private infant day-care centres available with many meeting the exacting standards of the two organizations. Though reasonably expensive, they could be very convenient to some parents.

Playgroups

There are various playgroups for English-speaking and bilingual children.

Women's club and churches are good sources of information about English-speaking playgroups. Children meet in small groups in each other's homes. For children from 2½ to 4 years, there are paid-for playgroups, where they go three or four mornings per week to take part in creative activities. There are also mother-and-baby clubs and support groups.

The childcare centre receives your child from birth and up to 15-16 months of age. Afterwards, the child will continue in the day nursery and stay there up to the age of 2½, the legal age to enter the "big school".

You will find two types of childcare: the ones managed by the community and those that are private. Private childcare institutions are around the year except on weekends, public holidays and for a period between 15 days and one month during the summer vacations.

There is one interesting suggestion for bilingual children. La Farandoline, a.s.b.l, is a French-speaking organisation of creative playgroups for children aged from one to three. It operates in Auderghem, Boitfort, Etterbeek, Jette, Schaerbeek, La Hulpe, Rhode-st-Genèse, Rixensart, Genval, Braine-l'Alleud, Uccle, Waterloo, Woluwé-St-Pierre and Woluwé-St-Lambert. Playgroups meet two mornings a week, the children being cared for by a trained animator and a mother (this job is shared on a rotating basis). There is a small charge. For information and addresses contact the head office.

Farandoline (La) ASBL
Chaussée de Malines 77
1970 Wezembeek-Oppem (Wezembeek Oppem)
Tel: 02 731 11 96

Kindergarten

The equivalent of kindergarten in the Belgian School system is the ecole Maternelle/kleuterschool.

Children may start nursery school at 2½ years old if they are reasonably potty trained. The cost is similar to that of a crèche. These schools, which are independent of the Minister of Education, are organised by the O.N.E/K&G.

Some schools have a reception class for children aged 2½ to three. Otherwise, there are three classes, which see them through to primary school, usually at six years of age.

Classes average 22 children and school hours are from 8.45/9am to 3.30/4pm. There is no school on Wednesday afternoons. Most schools extend the hours for working parents for a small charge. Children may be left from 7.30am to 6 pm under supervised care.

The curriculum initially emphasises helping children to be sociable. The day is divided into free-choice play activities, directed play activities including construction games, puzzles, etc., observation activities, designed to broaden their vocabulary, tactile play, free and directed drawing and painting, simple gymnastics, stories, songs, videos, poems and music.

Nursery schools

Children's progress at nursery schools is monitored on a regular basis by having them draw a person, as well as considering the general level of their activities.

Children should have learned their colours by the end of the first year. In the second year, these activities are continued at a more advanced level. Concepts of time and space are introduced, along with rhythmic activities.

By the third year, the children are being prepared for the primary school through pre-reading and pre-writing activities, as well as numbers exercises.

A school party is often organised twice a year. Once every trimester the children prepare entertainment for their parents and extra funds are raised by selling cakes, tom bola tickets, etc.

At the end of nursery school children take a maturity test organised by the psychological - medical - social centres whose staff visit the schools in their area. If any problem arises at this stage the parent will be informed. Please note that this test is not obligatory before going to primary school.

Private nursery schools

Many of the private primary schools offer nursery sections, while those following the Montessori method expressly start children's education at a very early age.