A childcare website needs to give parents one thing above all: trust. They are choosing a place where their child will spend a large part of the week. It is one of the most nerve-racking decisions young parents make. They read your site carefully, often together, and compare several providers. They want to know who will look after their child, what a day looks like, what it costs and whether there is a place.
In this article you will read what a daycare centre, out-of-school care (bso) or childminder agency site needs, how to make booking a tour an easy step, how to handle registrations and waiting lists, and what to watch with photos of children. It works for a small setting with one location and for an organisation with several sites.
What do parents look for on a childcare website?
- Is there a place, and from when?
- What does it cost, and how much will I get back through childcare benefit (kinderopvangtoeslag)?
- Who are the childcare staff?
- What does a day look like: eating, sleeping, playing, being outdoors?
- How safe and clean is the location?
- How will you keep me updated about my child?
- What are the opening hours and what happens during holidays?
A good website answers those questions before the parent has to ask them. That saves you phone calls and gives parents the feeling that you are open and clear.
The key pages for a daycare or out-of-school care website
- A homepage with a warm first impression and a button to book a tour.
- A page per location, with photos, address, groups, ages and opening hours.
- Your educational approach, in plain language and with real examples.
- A page about the team, with photos and names if staff are happy with that.
- Types of care and rates: full day, half day, out-of-school care, holiday care.
- An explanation of registration, the waiting list and settling in.
- Safety and quality: your entry in the national childcare register (Landelijk Register Kinderopvang) and the inspections by the municipal health service (GGD).
- Frequently asked questions and contact details.
An educational vision often turns into a wall of text full of jargon. Parents switch off. Make it concrete: 'We go outside every day, even when it rains' says more than 'we stimulate motor development'.
Also show how an ordinary day runs, for example as a short timeline from drop-off to pick-up. And explain how parents stay informed: a handover at pick-up, photos and messages through an app, or a regular parent meeting. It is exactly these small, practical details that give parents a picture of what it will be like for their child.
Explaining costs and childcare benefit clearly
Costs are the biggest question for many parents, and often the most confusing one. They want to know what it will cost them net. You can't calculate that exactly for every parent, but you can make it much clearer.
- Put your hourly rates per type of care in a clear table.
- Explain how your packages work, such as 52 or 40 weeks a year.
- Say in a few sentences that parents can often apply for childcare benefit, and refer to the government's official information for the current rules.
- Give a worked example as an indication, clearly marked as an example.
- Mention any extra costs, such as for nappies or meals, or say that they are included.
Booking a tour and registering through your website
Almost all parents want to come and have a look first. So a tour is your most important request. Make it easy:
- Let parents choose a time themselves in an online calendar, per location.
- Automatically send a confirmation with the address and parking information.
- After the tour, offer the option to register straight away.
- Let parents fill in the registration form online, with preferred days and start date.
- Be honest about how the waiting list works and roughly how long it takes.
Managing registrations, waiting lists and placements often happens in separate lists and emails. Specialised childcare software exists, but it doesn't always fit the way you work. For some organisations, a dedicated environment for parents is then the answer. Read more in our articles on having a client portal built and replacing Excel with software.
Photos of children and privacy
Photos of children playing bring your site to life. But photos of children are personal data under the GDPR (AVG in Dutch), and parents are rightly sensitive about this. Handle them with care.
- Only use photos of children if you have written permission from the parents.
- Where possible, choose photos in which children can't be recognised, such as hands doing crafts or children seen from behind.
- Never mention children's names.
- Show the rooms, the toys and the outdoor space. That says a lot too.
- Make sure forms with children's details are sent over a secure connection and don't sit in a shared inbox.
Unsure what is allowed? Ask a lawyer for advice or check with the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens). Read more about what must be on your site in our legal checklist for your website.
Getting your childcare centre found locally
Parents search close to home or work. They type 'childcare', 'daycare' or 'after-school care' plus their neighbourhood or town. That is where you want to be at the top.
- Create a Google Business Profile per location, with photos, opening hours and a link to the right location page.
- Give each location its own page with real, local information: which school is nearby, which parks do you visit?
- Ask parents for a review, for example when their child moves on to primary school.
- Keep opening hours and holiday closures the same everywhere.
A website for your childcare organisation from Violexa
At Violexa a custom website starts from €1,799 excl. VAT (€2,177 incl. VAT) per project. That includes design, build, a design that works on every screen, basic SEO, Google Analytics, a CMS and training. An online calendar for tours or a registration module comes with a fixed price upfront, in writing. We work from Amsterdam for organisations all over the Netherlands.
Want to know what your childcare organisation needs? Request a free quickscan. In 30 minutes, online or on location, we look at your situation together. Afterwards you get short written advice with a price indication, with no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a website for a childcare organisation cost?
At Violexa a custom website starts from €1,799 excl. VAT (€2,177 incl. VAT). An online calendar for tours or a registration module costs extra. You get a fixed price for that upfront.
Can a daycare centre put photos of children on its website?
Only with the parents' permission, preferably in writing. Photos of children are personal data. Where possible, choose photos in which children can't be recognised, and never mention names.
Can parents register for childcare online?
Yes, with a registration form or module on your website. Parents fill in their preferred days and start date, and you receive the details neatly. Do be honest about how the waiting list works.
