More children are going to childcare in the Netherlands, reports NOS on Friday.

According to the latest government figures, in the final three months of 2016, more than 700,000 children were going to daycare, after-school care and childminders.

This is 23,000 more than in the months from July to September, and also a rise on the previous two years.

But Gjalt Jellesma, chair of the BOink organisation for parents whose children go to daycare, said these figures show that political decisions around subsidies are having a ‘yo-yo effect’ on children.

‘Because parents never know exactly where they stand because of constantly-changing childcare rebates, they are looking for alternative care,’ he reportedly said. ‘In neighbouring countries, childcare is better regulated and so more parents participate in the jobs market.’

Other experts attributed the rising childcare figures to more people finding employment.