Expatriate parents are struggling to secure daytime supervision for their children while they’re at work. Rob Hyde reports on the problems and how some expats are coping.

In the UK, the Netherlands and Germany, many working mothers are experiencing severe difficulties in finding adequate and affordable day-care facilities for their young ones during office hours. According to the Holland Handbook 2001, 140,000 children in the Netherlands do have access to such schemes, but a staggering 55,000 are still waiting for places. This major Europe-wide obstacle is partly a consequence of what is otherwise a hugely positive development — more working women. In the past, many women stayed at home to tend to their children until they reached schooling age. Now, many women throughout the EU are pursuing careers, taking on high-ranking positions —and returning to work after their children are born. Unfortunately, it seems many EU governments have not yet caught up with female citizens who have chosen a more active role in society. The situation in the Netherlands