Flanders will add at least 4,000 affordable childcare places in the coming years, following a call launched this spring by welfare minister Caroline Gennez (Vooruit).
The Flemish government aims to create 10,000 new childcare places during this term, including 6,000 with fees based on a family's income. An extra €100 million will be invested in the sector in the coming years, rising to €200 million by 2029.
Earlier this year, Gennez called for 4,500 income-based places to be spread across municipalities according to local need. Not all areas received enough applications, while others received more than expected.
As a result, 3,936 places have already been approved. A new call for the remaining 500 places will follow in spring 2026.
The expansion should be felt quickly. More than 1,600 new places will open in 2026 and 2027. The rest will be added gradually up to 2029.
A separate call is also underway for 600 innovative childcare places, such as inclusive childcare or projects linked to schools and care centres.
The move comes as a shortage of childcare places continues to affect families and employers across Flanders. Nearly one in three employers say staff have missed work because they could not find childcare. Many parents now start looking for a place even before a child is born.
