The right moment
At the beginning of the day, there may be fewer staff present until all staff have started their shift. This can also happen at the end of the day, from the moment the first staff member on the group is allowed to leave. Sometimes, when most children are sleeping or during break times, we may also have fewer staff. Of course, we do not want children to be affected by this. During these times, we implement the rule. These are always moments and situations familiar to the children and manageable for them. We ensure a calm and pleasant atmosphere and minimize transition moments. And we always have at least half of the required pedagogical employees present in the group.
"How nice to see you, Niek!"
Even during times when there are fewer staff present, we want children to feel safe and comfortable. That is why we address them by name when they are dropped off and picked up. This immediately makes them feel seen and heard. And we are always nearby, even if a child needs a little more attention. We engage in activities that suit the calm nature of that moment, like some quiet free play, reading a book, or playing a game together at the table.
After-school care and toddler care
At after-school care, the three-hour rule only applies on days when children are there all day, such as during holidays. On school days, fewer staff is only present for a maximum of half an hour per day. Therefore, we call it the half-hour rule. Even then, it's during times when there are fewer children present at the after-school care, for example, at the end of the afternoon.
The three-hour rule does not apply to toddler care, because children are never there all day. If a group at the childcare center provides pre-school education, the three-hour rule does not apply during the hours when we offer pre-school education either.
Example schedule
Below you can see how a schedule at one of our locations might look with our usual staff shifts. If you want to know more about the schedule and the distribution of shifts at your location, check the location guide. In the location guide, we also explain how we implement the three-hour rule at day care. We do not need to explain the half-hour rule at after-school care. If you have any questions about this, please feel free to ask the location manager.