Certain facts regularly make the headlines, such as when a crying baby was locked for nearly an hour in the toilet of a nursery in Alleur in the province of Liège or when the “crèche of horror” of Oudenaarde was closed for multiple acts of abuse (children forced to eat, heads held under cold water, burns). Another Flemish nursery recently had to close after a child was tied to his bed… with adhesive tape.
Cases of negligence can have fatal outcomes. This was the case last March when a one-year-old girl strangled herself with the cord of a blind in a Liège nursery. The doctors could do nothing to save her. In the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, there is an average of two closures per year for acts of mistreatment or neglect. The cases are much more numerous in Flanders where 27 Flemish daycare centers were closed in 2022 alone.
“There were two of us to manage 30 babies”
On the side of childcare workers, the unease is palpable. “I worked for 6 years in a public daycare. From seven childcare workers, we went to two to manage 30 children while the standard provides for one childcare worker for seven babies. Many former colleagues, burned out, stopped working. In the long run, the childcare workers are at the end of their nerves. By dealing with sometimes difficult children who spend their time crying, their heads explode.”explains Sophie, assumed first name. “We had the reinforcement of students who, however, cannot stay alone in the section. We therefore have to work overtime to carry out administrative tasks such as filling out files, documenting children’s activities, preparing reports, etc.”
Children locked in toilets, force-fed: acts of abuse in a daycare center in Jemeppe-sur-Sambre
As a result, childcare workers cannot properly care for the children in their care. “It is common that not all children are changed regularly even though they should be changed five to six times a day. This leaves them in discomfort and causes irritation. Other concerns include not supervising children while they play, leaving them in dangerous situations without adequate supervision.”she explains.
Demotivated graduates
In this context, it is complicated to encourage vocations and young graduates are reorienting themselves towards other professions. “In addition to managing the children, we must prepare the menus, who eats halal, kosher, what are the allergies? During their training, the students have the impression that it is an easy job but the reality on the ground is quite different.adds Sophie.
The situation seems to be getting worse with ever stricter standards set by various organizations such as ONE or Kind & Gezin. The constraints linked to the language barrier don’t make anything easier. Thus, daycare centers authorized by Kind&Gezin in Brussels must be organized in Dutch. If the structure does not comply with language legislation, it may be closed. As a result, five nurseries have closed since 2017 and a number of structures have turned to the French Community, creating an even bigger void for Dutch-speaking parents.
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Our interlocutor recommends that young parents not put their baby in a nursery as long as they are exclusively breastfeeding. “I advise parents to keep their little ones at home as much as possible, this would help avoid cases of sudden death in daycare. Parents also need to use common sense. We don’t put our baby in a nursery if he is exclusively breastfeeding because he will ask for food every two hours but we can’t do anything. Parents should be made more aware of this aspect. she adds.
Young parents in distress
In this context, a lot of parents struggle to find a daycare for their toddler. “We are constantly confronted with the distress of parents who harass us, cry on the phone,” explains Sabine Lejeune, general director of Cocoon, a reception structure which manages eight crèches and 305 beds in the province of Liège. “The NEB does not allow us flexibility and there is simply nothing we can do to help them. Emotionally, it’s complicated to manage.”
On the ONE side, we confirm that the recruitment of childcare workers poses a problem, especially in Brussels. “Hiring staff from reception centers or replacing them (in the event of illness, separation due to pregnancy, etc.) is a difficulty encountered by some nurseries. Working conditions are not always easy: long hours, sectors not always served by public transport, fixed-term and sometimes precarious contracts, female environment with even young children, and the fact that working with young is a source of great satisfaction but also of great responsibility“, explains spokesperson Sylvie Anzalone. “There is a big gap between the social and financial recognition of this profession and the impact that this beautiful profession has and will have on children and families. This second is very great while the first is not valued enough.”
Incredible imbroglio: Arlette, manager of a crèche for 20 years, must stop her activities in the midst of a shortage
It therefore ensures that the current reform (see opposite) should make it possible to professionalize the sector and attract new candidates. “The ONE contributes to the professionalization of the sector via in particular the opening of a new early childhood baccalaureate (since September 2023) as well as a campaign to highlight professions linked to early childhood,” she concludes.
