The market in childcare introduced five years ago is not working, according to the opposition parties in parliament, reports NRC on Monday.

The liberal D66 party has sent a written question on the subject to social affairs minister Henk Kamp (VVD).
According to NRC, commercial childcare organisations save money by cutting staff, leading to too few adults to oversee the risks, which is against the law. When an inspector reports this, the council is required to publish the report and charge the creche a fine, something that seldom happens.
On the other hand, parents who want to move their children have little choice because of the long waiting lists in many cities. The conclusion is that market forces do not work.
This year the government is spending €2.7bn on childcare and D66 MP Fatma Koser Kaya wonders why, with so much money involved, it does not pay more attention to competition, quality and the prices being charged.
Labour, the Socialist party and GroenLinks are also critical of the way in which childcare is organised and controlled.