In short
In 2024, the Future Group for Childcare, an expert panel appointed by the Flemish Government, presented its vision for what childcare should look like in ten years’ time. The vision proposes a new organisational model built around three key domains: organisational management, pedagogical policy, and lifelong learning and development. Each domain is linked to new professional roles, such as practice coaches and team facilitators, intended to support its implementation.
Need and relevance
To date, little is known about the organisational structures currently present in the childcare sector or about the strategies that contribute to strong and sustainable organisations. As a result, it remains unclear how current practice aligns with the proposed organisational model and how the sector views these developments.
In this joint research project by Karel de Grote University of Applied Sciences and Arts and Artevelde University of Applied Sciences, we aim to gain deeper insight into these questions. By building on the knowledge and experience already present in the field, the project seeks to contribute to the further development and implementation of the Future Group’s vision.
From approach to impact
The project focuses on four key research questions:
What organisational structures currently exist in the Flemish childcare sector?
How are these structures implemented and experienced in practice?
Which organisational strategies contribute to a strong organisational structure?
How does the sector relate to the recently developed organisational model?
To answer these questions, we collect administrative data on all childcare providers in Flanders from the databases of Opgroeien and the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises. Based on this data, we select organisations with diverse characteristics and invite them to share their organisational charts. We then analyse these charts and identify interesting cases for further study.
Within each selected organisation, we conduct two interviews: one with the provider or staff member responsible for HR, and one with an experienced childcare worker who has an in-depth understanding of the organisation.
Research realisations and publications
Final report
Robust Organizational Structures in Childcare
How do childcare organizations structure themselves today to enhance quality, workability, and sustainability? This study maps out the key challenges, organizational structures, and strategies within the Flemish childcare sector and offers insights and recommendations for the sector's further development.
Presentation Childcare/ORG
Explanation of results for the Childcare Future Group, Childcare & Out-of-School Care Chamber.
Our partners
External project collaborators
- Jeroen Janssen
- Sofie Beunes
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