Want to know immediately what you will pay net? Use our calculation tool and calculate your monthly costs, including childcare allowance, in just a few minutes.
What is childcare allowance?
Childcare allowance is a financial contribution from the government to parents who work, study or are following a pathway to work. The allowance helps to reduce the costs of childcare, such as daycare, after- school care (bso) or preschool.
- The Tax and Customs Administration pays the allowance into your account every month. This is great, because it makes childcare affordable and well organised.
- The allowance applies as long as your child is under 13 years of age and receives childcare from a registered childcare organisation, such as Partou.
Good to know:
To apply for childcare allowance, you will need your DigiD, your assessed income and details of your childcare contract, such as the hourly rate, number of hours and the LRK number of your Partou location.
When are you entitled to childcare allowance?
You are entitled to childcare allowance if you meet a number of conditions. The most important ones are:
- You and/or your partner are working, studying, taking an integration course or following a programme to find work.
- Your child attends a registered childcare facility listed in the National Childcare Register (LRK).
- You have a childcare contract and pay (part of) the costs yourself.
- Your child is younger than 13 years of age (i.e. not yet in secondary school).
- You apply for the allowance within 3 months of the start of childcare.
You can receive a maximum of 230 hours of childcare allowance per child per month, depending on the number of hours you or your partner work.
Childcare allowance if your partner is temporarily out of work
Is your partner (temporarily) unemployed? In some cases, you can still receive childcare allowance for three months. This means your child can continue to attend childcare while you sort out the new situation.
Would you like to know more about the official conditions? Read more about childcare allowance on Rijksoverheid.nl.
How much childcare allowance will you receive?
The amount of childcare allowance you receive varies per family. The amount depends on:
- your (combined) assessed income
- the number of childcare hours you purchase
- the type of childcare (daycare, after-school care or preschool)
- the hourly rate for childcare
The Tax and Customs Administration calculates your allowance based on this information. The lower your income, the higher the percentage you will be reimbursed. Parents with a higher income receive a lower reimbursement.
Maximum hourly rates for childcare allowance 2025
Each year, the government sets a maximum hourly rate for which you can receive childcare allowance. The following amounts apply for 2025:
Maximum reimbursement per hour
- Daycare: €10.71
- After-school care (bso): €9.52
Is the hourly rate for your childcare above this amount? Then you will have to pay the difference yourself.
How is childcare allowance calculated?
The government calculates your childcare allowance based on your (combined) income, the number of hours you work and the number of hours of childcare you purchase.
- Do you work fewer hours than your partner? Then the Tax and Customs Administration will count the number of hours worked by the parent who works the least. This ensures that the allowance is divided fairly based on your working hours.
- You can receive a maximum of 230 hours per month in allowance per child.
Example: if you work 20 hours per week, you can claim up to 28 hours of childcare for a daycare (that is 140% of your working hours). For after-school care (bso), a maximum of 70% applies, so in that case 14 hours per week. These extra hours take into account, for example, travel time or picking up your child.
Gross, net and your own contribution
Childcare organisations – such as Partou – set their own hourly rates. These are the gross costs: the amount before the childcare allowance has been deducted. The government will reimburse you for part of that amount in the form of childcare allowance. What remains after that is your net costs. In other words: what you actually pay yourself. The exact amount varies per family. It depends on your income, the number of childcare days and the type of childcare.
Use our calculation tool to immediately see what you pay net per month, including allowance. Or view the current allowance table from the Tax and Customs Administration for the percentages per income group.
Childcare allowance & special situations
- Multiple children: a higher allowance percentage applies for each subsequent child.
- Unemployment: if you become (temporarily) unemployed, you will retain your right to childcare allowance for three months. This means your child can continue to attend during that period. At Partou, we are happy to help you: through our back-to-work service, we offer a temporary adjusted hourly rate to make the transition a little easier.
- Preschool: you can also receive a subsidy for preschool if the location is registered with the LRK.
- After-school care: childcare allowance also applies to after-school care. This is useful for care before or after school hours.
- Study or reintegration: parents who are studying, integrating into society or participating in a reintegration programme are also entitled to a subsidy.
Back-to-work service
Have you lost your job (temporarily)? This often has major consequences, including financial ones. That is why we are happy to help you with our back-to-work service.
During the first three months of unemployment, we will temporarily adjust the hourly rate in your contract. This rate will be equal to the maximum reimbursable rate set by the Tax and Customs Administration. This means that during this period, you will only pay the portion that is reimbursed through the childcare allowance.
After three months, the temporary arrangement will automatically expire and the regular hourly rate will apply again.
Conditions
- At least one of the parents has lost his or her job.
- The return-to-work service is valid for a maximum of three months.
- After that, you will sign a new contract at the regular hourly rate.
- The scheme does not apply retroactively.
Questions about the return-to-work service or childcare allowance? Our Customer Support department will be happy to help you on 088 - 235 75 00 or via support@partou.nl.
Applying for or changing childcare allowance
You can apply for childcare allowance from the Tax and Customs Administration via My Allowances. You can do this up to three months after the start of childcare, with retroactive effect.
How to apply for childcare allowance:
- Log in to My Allowances with your DigiD.
- Enter the requested information: your (combined) income, the number of childcare hours and the LRK number of your Partou location.
- Check regularly to make sure your information is still correct. Has your income, childcare situation or location changed? Report this immediately. This will prevent you from having to repay the allowance later.
- The childcare allowance will be paid monthly into the account number registered with the Tax and Customs Administration. The Tax and Customs Administration only pays tax refunds and allowances into one account number per taxpayer (you or your partner).
- The Tax and Customs Administration pays the allowance monthly around the 20th of the month.
Tip: have your childcare contract and assessment income to hand when applying.
Change, stop or move
- Changes: has your income, number of childcare hours or location changed? Report this immediately via My Benefits.
- Cancellation: is your child no longer attending childcare? Then cancel the childcare benefit.
- Moving or other location: is your child moving to another Partou location? Check that the correct LRK number has been entered.
Retroactive effect and corrections to childcare allowance
Did you forget to apply for allowance? You can still do so retroactively up to three months after the start date. Did you receive too little? Then check whether your details (such as income or childcare hours) are still up to date. You can adjust this yourself via My Allowances. Did you receive too much allowance? Then you will have to repay that amount. The Tax and Customs Administration will always inform you of this by letter.
Practical tips about childcare allowance
- Use our calculation tool to avoid surprises.
- Report any changes immediately via My Benefits.
- Keep contracts, invoices and annual statements in a safe place. The Tax and Customs Administration may ask to see them.