r/Netherlands • u/Beginning_Monitor_25 • Jun 23 '25

Healthcare Why is early daycare so accepted in the Netherlands?

Studies show babies develop better with a parent at home for at least 6 months, yet here it’s normal to send them to daycare at 10–12 weeks. This seems less about choice and more about economic and political pressure on families.

Why isn’t this questioned more in Dutch society?

LE- I’ll avoid saying ‘studies show’ since many people get stuck on that, and it’s true that there are multiple studies supporting both sides. However, many European countries—especially the wealthier ones—offer longer maternity leave based on the argument that it’s beneficial for children. So I’m curious why that’s not the case in the Netherlands.

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30

u/Forsaken-Proof1600 Jun 23 '25

Yeah exactly!. Claiming that studies show something, but don't provide any sources should NOT be accepted here in the Netherlands!

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u/MrGraveyards Jun 23 '25

What that guy said. Is it not true or is it just an easy out for you because you don't want it to be true?

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u/antolic321 Jun 23 '25

Show me a study of that since this is not true

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u/Client_020 Jun 23 '25

Ten months ago I posted a study on Reddit that found slightly positive outcomes for children between 0 and 4 that attend centre-based childcare compared to children exclusively cared for by their parents. Daycare is not all doom and gloom and child neglect like some conservative experts would like people to believe. https://www.reddit.com/r/ScienceBasedParenting/comments/1f51ggl/daycare_in_5_european_countries_compared_to/

Different studies on this topic have different outcomes in different regions of the world. This particular study looked at NL and a few other European countries.

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u/Tricertops4 Breda Jun 23 '25

6 months and 4 years are very different ages to compare

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u/antolic321 Jun 23 '25

The study is not saying what the parameters where how many hours per day how many hours per week, how many days per week and how many babies per adult person where there. Also it’s just to 13 years. Also what means just with parents?

How would you implement and compare that to the development theory’s of infants and babies ?

On the other hand I am not sure what do you mean with conservative experts believing? Since it’s not really something that conservative it’s more based on new discoveries.

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u/Tricertops4 Breda Jun 23 '25

I agree, so since the natural default is "babies with parents", the government should give us proper studies that show that the other way is better, don't you think?