What does it mean to be within the planning period?
If your application falls within the planning period, we are actively reviewing the occupancy status at your preferred location. We also refer to this as the planning horizon: the period during which we plan ahead and actively search for a suitable spot. For some locations, this is possible as far as a year in advance; for others, only a few months in advance.
“As a planner, you're constantly monitoring availability,” Sharona explains. “Sometimes things change on a daily basis: one parent cancels, while another wants to extend their hours. We have to juggle the schedule based on those changes.”
What happens behind the scenes?
Every day, our planners review which spots become available. In doing so, we take the following into account:
- Group size and ages
- Transportation from school to after-school care
- Staff scheduling
- Priority rules (such as existing customers and employees)
- How do we keep you informed?
If you’re in the planning period, you’ll receive occasional updates by email. For example, through our reminders asking if you still want to remain on the waiting list. This helps us keep the list up to date. “We want to keep parents well informed,” says Sharona. “That’s why we send regular updates, and you can always contact us by email if you want to make any changes.”
What can you do yourself?
Want to increase your chances of getting a spot? It helps a lot if you’re flexible:
- Let us know about any extra childcare days you might need (Wednesdays and Fridays, in particular, often have availability sooner).
- Consider another Partou location nearby.
- Let us know right away about any changes in your situation, via mijnpartou.nl/regelen or by emailing support@partou.nl.
And then: the offer
As soon as a spot (or part of a spot) becomes available, you’ll receive a personalized offer from us via email. For the days where there’s no spot yet, you’ll be placed on the waiting list. If you accept the available days for now, you’ll be given priority on the waiting list for the remaining days.