Back to the seventies: ABBA and feminism
The Bee Gees and Donna Summer ruled the charts, ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest with Waterloo, and alongside the very first video games, the Rubik’s Cube was incredibly popular. It was also a period when feminism received new momentum. There were heated debates about equal opportunities in the workplace, maternity leave, and… childcare!
In response, several welfare organizations were founded to enable women to work while other women cared for their children. The growing demand for more organized childcare led to the establishment of Alcides, a predecessor of the former Partou, born from the merger of three Amsterdam welfare organizations. Catalpa, a forerunner of Smallsteps, was also a welfare organization. So yes — the roots of Partou go all the way back to the seventies.
The eighties: government subsidies and blue animals
As demand continued to rise, the Dutch government started getting more involved in childcare during the 1980s. Various schemes were introduced to make childcare more accessible to families, including subsidized childcare options. In 1984, this led to the founding of Stichting Kinderopvang Nederland (SKON), another predecessor of our organization.
All SKON locations had animal names. There was even a Blue Animal Parade — a kind of pop-up daycare that provided childcare at events both in the Netherlands and abroad, like during the Alpe d’HuZes cycling event. Fun fact: SKON’s first location was called the Blue Dragon (in Rotterdam, 1980s). And that’s exactly where our mascot Dirk the Dragon comes from — later joined, of course, by Daantje, his purple Partou sister!
The nineties: more focus on pedagogical quality
In the 1990s, the childcare sector grew bigger and became more professional. More and more parents were combining work and family life, which drove the demand for flexible, high-quality childcare. The government also increased its subsidies. Childcare evolved alongside these developments.
Where previously the focus had mainly been on equal opportunities for women, attention now turned to an important question: Is childcare actually good for children? Bowlby’s attachment theory became increasingly relevant to pedagogical quality in the 1990s, along with stricter training requirements and regulations. Toward the end of the decade, more early childhood education locations were also introduced to support toddlers with developmental delays: all positive steps!
From 2000: market forces and the childcare act
One of the most important milestones of this decade was the introduction of the Dutch Childcare Act in 2005. This resulted in a system in which parents, employers, and the government jointly shared the financial responsibility for childcare.
At the same time, more (commercial) childcare organizations emerged, giving parents more choices. In 2000, Kasteel Kiekeboe and 't Ukkie merged to form Allio Kinderopvang, which led to the creation of Kinderopvang Nederland in 2006. Partou soon joined this group as well.
From 2010: childcare allowance and quality improvements
Demand for flexible, high-quality childcare continued to grow, driven by women’s increasing participation in the workforce, the rise of dual-income families, and the emphasis on work-life balance. From this period onwards, working and studying parents received income-based childcare allowances to make childcare more affordable.
There were also increasingly stricter requirements for the education and qualifications of childcare professionals. Studies were conducted on stress in young children in childcare, which ultimately led to the gradual introduction of the IKK Act (Innovation of Quality in Childcare) from 2018 onward. A positive development, leading to baby specialists, an updated child-to-staff ratio (BKR), pedagogical coaches and VE-coaches.
The objective of our sector truly shifted in this period: from a labor market instrument to a focus on child development. In other words — children increasingly became the focus!
Meanwhile, our organization kept growing. In 2014, several organizations merged under the name Partou, including Partou, Allio, SKON, and Gastouderopvang Nederland. At the same time, KidsFoundation also expanded, with Smallsteps Kinderopvang as its largest brand.
From 2020: a new chapter of mergers
In 2020, KidsFoundation and Partou merged. Partou continued as one of the labels of KidsFoundation, alongside Smallsteps. A year later, in 2021, Smallsteps and Partou integrated under the Partou brand. That same year, Just Childcare — with settings in the Northwest, Yorkshire, and Southwest of England — became the first non-Dutch childcare organisation to merge with Partou.
From 2025: looking ahead
By now, many wonderful labels have joined us, and we’ve built a strong international foundation — with childcare in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Just like everywhere else in the world and in our sector, there’s a growing emphasis on health, sustainability, and innovation. You can see this reflected in our beautiful Partou Pedagogy, with extra focus on healthy nutrition, society and the environment, physical activity, outdoor play, and (brain) development. The crowning glory of this work: our B Corp certification.
From 2025, all pedagogical professionals will be required to have a minimum language level, and those who work with babies will receive additional training. And in the coming decades? You too will play an important role. Together, we are shaping the future of childcare and of many children.