# Accessibility of childcare facilities in the Brussels-Capital Region

## Brussels Studies fact sheet

*Accessibilité des milieux d'accueil de la petite enfance en Région de Bruxelles-Capitale*

*Toegankelijkheid van kinderopvangvoorzieningen in het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest*

Charlotte Casier, Anneloes Vandenbroucke, Jean-Michel Decroly, Pierre Marissal and Michel Vandenbroeck

Translator: Helen White

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OpenEdition
Journals

**Electronic version**

URL: https://journals.openedition.org/brussels/8431

DOI: 10.4000/13w1y

ISSN: 2031-0293

**This article is a translation of:**

Toegankelijkheid van kinderopvangvoorzieningen in het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest - URL : https://journals.openedition.org/brussels/8429 [nl]

**Other translation(s):**

Accessibilité des milieux d'accueil de la petite enfance en Région de Bruxelles-Capitale - URL : https://journals.openedition.org/brussels/8447 [fr]

**Publisher**

Université libre de Bruxelles - ULB

**Electronic reference**

Charlotte Casier, Anneloes Vandenbroucke, Jean-Michel Decroly, Pierre Marissal and Michel Vandenbroeck, "Accessibility of childcare facilities in the Brussels-Capital Region", *Brussels Studies* [Online], Fact Sheets, no 201, Online since 07 May 2025, connection on 13 January 2026. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/brussels/8431; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/13w1y

This text was automatically generated on January 13, 2026.

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The text only may be used under licence CC BY 4.0. All other elements (illustrations, imported files) may be subject to specific use terms.
# Accessibility of childcare facilities in the Brussels-Capital Region

## Brussels Studies fact sheet

*Accessibilité des milieux d'accueil de la petite enfance en Région de Bruxelles-Capitale*

*Toegankelijkheid van kinderopvangvoorzieningen in het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest*

Charlotte Casier, Anneloes Vandenbroucke, Jean-Michel Decroly, Pierre Marissal and Michel Vandenbroeck

Translation: Helen White

## EDITOR'S NOTE

In order to see the figures in a better resolution, go to the article online and click on "Original" below it.

## AUTHOR'S NOTE

This factsheet presents the most significant findings from the study of the same name, conducted by the BSI at the request of the Schools and Student Life Service at perspective.brussels. The full report is freely available at https://perspective.brussels/sites/default/files/documents/241010_etude_accessibilite_fr_vf.pdf.

1

The study examined the accessibility of childcare facilities in the Brussels-Capital Region (BCR). These facilities may be accredited either by the Office de la Naissance et de l'Enfance (ONE), which comes under the authority of the French Community, by Opgroeien (formerly Kind en Gezin), which comes under the authority of the Flemish Community, or by Iriscare, which comes under the authority of the Common
Community Commission and can accredit bilingual childcare initiatives (which do not exist at present).

# 1. A multidimensional definition of accessibility

2. There are various dimensions to accessibility. Specifically, we distinguish five aspects:

1. Geographical accessibility: this is particularly important for people in precarious circumstances who are less likely to have their own car and therefore need services nearby. Furthermore, public transport in Brussels is not always easy to use with young children;

2. Affordability: the financial contribution can vary greatly depending on whether the nurseries are accredited by ONE or Opgroeien, and whether or not their pricing is means-tested. Additionally, there are often registration fees and sometimes significant supplements for nappies, food, administration costs, etc.;

3. Social and cultural accessibility: the skills that the staff possess to engage in dialogue with a diverse target group (languages, intercultural skills, understanding of poverty, etc.), the administration involved in registration, the relationships that the organisations have with other social and cultural services (outreach) and the extent to which the content of the offer meets parents' expectations;

4. Practical accessibility: to what extent the childcare on offer is adapted to the practical needs of the parents (e.g. in terms of opening times, flexibility, ability to accommodate irregular working hours);

5. Priority rules: the regulatory framework determines which families should be given priority, but different rules are sometimes applied in practice. Priorities can make access for a child living in a precarious family situation easier or more difficult.

3. To map out the geographical and financial accessibility of childcare, we had access to the complete data (provided by ONE and Opgroeien) that formed the basis for a) a quantitative model to map distances and b) a typology of facilities. This typology was subsequently enriched with information on social, cultural and practical accessibility and on the priorities applied at registration, collected by means of a survey.

4. The accessibility of childcare for a diverse and precarious target group is also dependent on the complex interaction between three levels: policy at national or community level, the organising authorities and the childcare locations. The policy aspect mainly affects geographical and financial accessibility. The social and cultural accessibility and practical accessibility are mainly determined by the organising authorities and childcare facilities. The question of priorities at registration involves all levels, from issuing the regulations to putting them into practice.

# 2. The tension between supply and demand is very unevenly geographically distributed across the region

5. According to the data from ONE and Opgroeien, there were approximately 20 500 accredited places in the BCR in 2023, whereas the number of children under the age of 3 years on 1 January 2023 was 44 819. Hence the regional coverage level is 45,8 %, which is close to the Barcelona standard (45 %)¹ that the Council of the European Union has put forward as a new target.
6

Aside from the fact that the supply of childcare is most likely lower than the overall demand, the tension between supply and demand is not the same everywhere. For example, coverage is generally higher in the Pentagon (the centre of Brussels) and the east of the region (Figure 1).

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /><figcaption>Figure 1. Coverage of childcare offered in the Brussels-Capital Region</figcaption></figure>

IGEAT - ULB (2024)

Source: ONE, Opgroeien, BISA & Statbel

(General Directorate of Statistics - Statistics Belgium) (National Register)

7

To evaluate geographical accessibility more accurately, we used a doubly constrained gravity model that establishes a relationship between all available places and the entire potential demand. A gravity model of this kind models the average distance that children from a statistical sector need to travel to have access to a place in childcare, taking into account the existing competition and assuming that all children have the same access. In this way, we can also investigate where additional availability would alleviate demand the most.

8

The model confirms that the tension between supply and demand for childcare is very unevenly geographically distributed across the BCR (see Map 7, p. 41 of the report). The children who have to travel the greatest distances to obtain a place are those in the west and northwest of the region, where demand is very high in proportion to supply. The further they are from the centre, the greater the distance they have to travel. These are also areas with an average or low socio-economic level, which may limit mobility. Conversely, the children who have to travel the shortest distances live in the east of the region, specifically in Etterbeek, Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, the Squares Quarter and certain districts in the outer suburbs of the city.
## 3. Differentiated access based on a complex gravity model

However, the simple model does not take other differences in access between children into account. For this reason, a complex gravity model a) makes the municipal supply only accessible to children of residents of that municipality, b) makes some of the places in the childcare locations accredited by Opgroeien only accessible to children from the Flemish Community (see below, 5.3), and c) makes childcare places in facilities that apply free pricing only accessible to children from families with sufficient income (i.e. those in income deciles 7 to 10).

The result is that the accessibility level (defined as the proportion of the regional supply that a child can access on the basis of his/her place of residence, language and family income) is no longer the same for all children, with accessibility percentages ranging from 25 % to 71 %. Children from non-Dutch-speaking households in the six lowest income deciles have the lowest opportunities in practice. Geographically speaking, the access level is lower in the west and northwest of the region, because parents' income limits access to childcare facilities with free pricing there. Conversely, there are wide variations between municipalities: children who live in the City of Brussels have higher access, for example, than children from the neighbouring municipalities due to the extensive municipal supply (Figure 2).

<figure><img src="image_4.png" /><figcaption>Figure 2. Unequal access to childcare facilities in the region</figcaption></figure>

IGEAT - ULB (2024)

Source: ONE, Opgroeien, BISA & Statbel

(General Directorate of Statistics - Statistics Belgium) (National Register)
<figure><img src="image_5.png" /><figcaption>Figure 3. Average distance that children from the statistical sector travel to gain access to childcare, according to the complex gravity model</figcaption></figure>

IGEAT - ULB (2024)

Source: ONE, Opgroeien, BISA & Statbel

(General Directorate of Statistics - Statistics Belgium) (National Register)

11 With regard to the distances that children have to travel (Figure 3), we again see a contrast between the west of the region, which is characterised by long distances, and the east, where the distances are generally shorter. Besides this east-west contrast, there is a concentric logic, with generally longer distances the further one is from the centre. However, shorter distances do not necessarily mean high regional access levels. For example, Saint-Josse-ten-Noode is characterised by very short distances (due to the high local supply of means-tested childcare places) combined with very low accessibility levels (due to the small proportion of regional childcare places accessible to the mainly French-speaking target group living in poverty).

## 4. Typology of the childcare locations by geographical and financial accessibility

12 These analyses led us to a typology of facilities based on their financial and geographical accessibility (information available for all childcare facilities in the BCR). Firstly, a distinction was made based on the type of pricing applied by the facility, i.e. means-tested (R) or free pricing (L). Secondly, this was crossed with the type of child accommodated there. Thus three groups of childcare locations were distinguished: Group 1 (29 % of the supply) is characterised by a high proportion of children living in a single parent family or a family with at least one jobseeker, and it accommodates children with low access to childcare. Group 3 (20 % of the supply), conversely, is characterised by a low proportion of children living in a single parent family or a
family with at least one jobseeker, and high access levels. Finally, group 2 (51 % of the supply) occupies an intermediate position between the two.

<figure><img src="image_6.png" /><figcaption>Figure 4. Types of childcare based on their geographical and financial accessibility</figcaption></figure>

IGEAT - ULB (2024)

Source: ONE, Opgroeien, BISA & Statbel

(General Directorate of Statistics - Statistics Belgium) (National Register)

13 This results in six subgroups of childcare locations (Figure 4) that vary by the children that may be accommodated and the pricing. Group 1 is located in the west and north of the inner city and has 82 % means-tested places (subgroup 1R), compared to 18 % places with free pricing (subgroup 1L). Group 2 is located in the western part of the outer suburbs and the east of the inner city and has the highest relative proportion of places with free pricing (38 % - subgroup 2L), which we find mainly in the east of the inner city. Finally, Group 3 is located in the east of the outer suburbs and has 29 % of places with free pricing (subgroup 3L).

## 5. Other dimensions of accessibility – survey

14 To supplement the description of the six groups with their practices concerning other aspects of accessibility, a survey was sent to all the Dutch-speaking and French-speaking childcare locations in the BCR. They were asked for identification so that the responses could be linked to the correct facility and type.

15 The survey was in five parts that covered the different dimensions of accessibility². After asking for general information in part 1, the subsequent parts concentrated on practical and geographical accessibility (part 2), financial accessibility (part 3), procedures for requesting a place (part 4) and social and cultural accessibility (part 5).
16 Of the 582 childcare locations, just under 400 did not respond to the survey. Factors that limited participation in the study include missing and outdated contact details, an overworked sector and a busy period, and a lack of interest or poor understanding of the research goals. The childcare locations that did respond were fairly well distributed around Brussels. The response percentage varied from 17% (Forest) to 47% (Woluwe-Saint-Lambert).

## 5.1. Practical accessibility reduced by limited opening times

17 The childcare locations in Brussels generally offer opening days and times that are poorly adapted to people with atypical working hours, especially in the north and west of the inner city, but also in the east of the inner city and the north and west of the outer suburbs. Paradoxically, the facilities surveyed in the third group had the longest opening hours, even though they accommodate a lower proportion of children whose parents have atypical working hours.

## 5.2. Means-tested pricing contributes to better financial accessibility

18 The most financially accessible facilities are those with means-tested pricing (almost two thirds of facilities in the BCR), which also charge lower supplements, request smaller deposits upon registration, charge less for authorised absences and apply fewer fines for default on payment (Table 1). Of the locations with free pricing, the least expensive are in the zones under the greatest pressure (subgroup 1L). It is possible that these facilities receive subsidies from other government bodies.

<table><caption>Table 1. Overview of the financial accessibility of the different subgroups (according to the survey)</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">Dimensions of financial accessibility</th><th colspan="3">Means-tested pricing (R)</th><th colspan="3">Free pricing (L)</th></tr><tr><th>Group 1</th><th>Group 2</th><th>Group 3</th><th>Group 1</th><th>Group 2</th><th>Group 3</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Pricing</td><td>++</td><td>++</td><td>++</td><td>-</td><td>--</td><td>--</td></tr><tr><td>Supplements</td><td>++</td><td>+</td><td>+</td><td>--</td><td>-</td><td>-</td></tr><tr><td>Policy on charging for absences</td><td>++</td><td>++</td><td>++</td><td>+</td><td>--</td><td>--</td></tr><tr><td>Deposit</td><td>+</td><td>+</td><td>+</td><td>-</td><td>--</td><td>--</td></tr><tr><td>Terms of payment</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>+</td><td>-</td><td>-</td></tr><tr><td>Non-payment policy</td><td>+</td><td>+</td><td>+</td><td>++</td><td>-</td><td>-</td></tr></tbody></table>

## 5.3. Opportunities for registration - regulations that are generally unfavourable to vulnerable groups

19 The management of requests for a place in childcare is highly regulated, especially for facilities with means-tested pricing. For example, the new rules set by Opgroeien
benefit parents with a stable, full-time job, and an average of 42,5 % of the places accredited by Opgroeien are reserved for Dutch-speaking children. However, this percentage is far higher at locations with means-tested pricing (53 %) than at centres with free pricing (15 %).

20 The rules of the accrediting bodies are not always adhered to in practice. Thus, the majority of childcare locations take single parents into account when allocating places, although the regulations do not provide for this. They do so all the more if they offer means-tested payments or if they are located in the west or north of the inner city, where demand for this is potentially the greatest.

## 5.4. Higher social and cultural accessibility in areas under pressure

21 As for languages, the most inclusive environments are located in the areas experiencing pressure and those with means-tested payments. Facilities in the western and northern part of the inner city make more practical use of other parents, social workers and outreach workers to communicate with parents who speak other languages.

22 Facilities in the western and northern part of the inner city and facilities with means-tested payments are also more integrated into the neighbourhood. They more often share their premises, organise other activities, involve residents as volunteers and have more contact with the fabric of associations and institutions in the neighbourhood.

<table><caption>Table 2. Overview of the accessibility of the different subgroups (according to the survey)</caption><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">Accessibility dimension</th><th colspan="3">Means-tested pricing (R)</th><th colspan="3">Free pricing (L)</th></tr><tr><th>Group 1</th><th>Group 2</th><th>Group 3</th><th>Group 1</th><th>Group 2</th><th>Group 3</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Financial (pricing, supplements, deposit)</td><td>++</td><td>++</td><td>++</td><td>-</td><td>--</td><td>--</td></tr><tr><td>Financial (other)</td><td>+</td><td>+</td><td>+</td><td>-</td><td>--</td><td>--</td></tr><tr><td>Geographical (distance from demand)</td><td>++</td><td>+</td><td>-</td><td>++</td><td>+</td><td>-</td></tr><tr><td>Practical (opening hours)</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>-</td></tr><tr><td>Management of reservation requests</td><td>+</td><td>+</td><td>+</td><td>+</td><td>-</td><td>-</td></tr><tr><td>Social/cultural</td><td>+</td><td>-</td><td>-</td><td>+</td><td>-</td><td>-</td></tr></tbody></table>

## 6. Recommendations

23 In conclusion, our study makes four recommendations:

* Regular monitoring of all the regional childcare places offered in the region, to obtain a more complete picture of the inequalities within the region;

* Creation of 7 000 to 10 000 additional childcare places so that childcare becomes a genuine right for every household in the BCR. Given the difficulty of recruiting the necessary childcare
staff, attention must also be paid to their working conditions. The creation of places in the west of Brussels, especially in the inner city, should be prioritised;

* To improve access for families on a low or average income, there is a need for more means-tested places;

* Finally, with regard to accessibility for single-parent families and/or job-seeking families, there appears to be a need for more places adapted to parents with atypical working hours or single parents. There should also be more attention to the specific needs of these groups when managing registrations.

*We would like to thank the childcare facilities that took the time to complete the survey, as well as the experts who participated in the study's steering committee.*

## NOTES

1. Council of the European Union (2022). Council Recommendation on early childhood education and care: the Barcelona targets for 2030. Official Journal of the European Union C484.

2. The entire questionnaire is included as an appendix to the report.

## ABSTRACTS

This study maps the accessibility of childcare facilities in the Brussels-Capital Region. It applies a multi-dimensional definition of accessibility, which takes geographical, financial, social, cultural and practical aspects into account as well as considering the application of priority rules. A doubly constrained gravity model exposed the differences in geographical and financial accessibility and formed the basis of a typology of childcare facilities. Subsequently, a survey was conducted among both French- and Dutch-speaking facilities, which served as a basis to enrich the typology. The study emphasises the need for more - many more - childcare places. These are especially needed in the west of the Region, and they should preferably apply means-tested rates to ensure that they are also accessible to single-parent families and jobseekers, for example. Finding childcare is also a challenge for parents with atypical working hours. The more facilities there are in areas where demand is much higher than supply, the more efforts they make with social and cultural accessibility.

Cette étude dresse un état des lieux de l'accessibilité des milieux d'accueil de la petite enfance dans la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale. À cette fin, une définition multidimensionnelle de l'accessibilité a été adoptée, qui tient compte des aspects géographiques, financiers, sociaux, culturels et pratiques, ainsi que de l'application des règles de priorité. Un modèle gravitaire à double contrainte a mis en évidence les différences en matière d'accessibilité géographique et financière et a servi de base à une typologie des structures d'accueil. Une enquête a ensuite été menée auprès des structures francophones et néerlandophones, qui a permis d'enrichir cette
typologie. L'étude souligne la nécessité de créer (beaucoup) plus de places d'accueil. Celles-ci sont particulièrement nécessaires dans l'ouest de la Région et devraient appliquer de préférence une tarification liée au revenu des parents, afin d'être accessibles aux familles monoparentales et aux demandeurs d'emploi, par exemple. Trouver une structure d'accueil est également un défi pour les parents ayant des horaires de travail atypiques. Plus les structures sont situées dans des zones où la demande est beaucoup plus importante que l'offre, plus elles s'investissent dans l'accessibilité sociale et culturelle.

Deze studie brengt de toegankelijkheid van de kinderopvangvoorzieningen in het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest in kaart. Daartoe werd een multi-dimensionele definitie van toegankelijkheid gehanteerd, die zowel rekening houden met geografische, financiële, sociale en culturele en praktische aspecten, en ook oog heeft voor de toepassing van voorrangsregels. Een dubbel begrensd gravitatiemodel legde de verschillen bloot in geografische en financiële toegankelijkheid en vormde de basis voor een typologie van opvangvoorzieningen. Vervolgens werd een enquête afgenomen bij zowel Frantalige al Nederlandstalige voorzieningen op basis waarvan de typologie kon verrijkt worden. De studie onderstreept de nood aan (veel) meer opvangplaatsen. Die zijn vooral nodig in het westen van het Gewest en hanteren best een inkomensgebonden tarief, zodat ze ook toegankelijk zijn voor bijvoorbeeld éénoudergezinnen en werkzoekenden. Ook voor ouders met atypische werkuren is opvang vinden een uitdaging. Naarmate voorzieningen zich bevinden in gebieden waar de vraag veel groter is dan het aanbod, gaan ze wel meer inzetten op sociale en culturele toegankelijkheid.

## INDEX

**Subjects:** 4. santé – qualité de vie – inégalités sociales

**Keywords:** territorial development, social inequalities, urban infrastructures, social policies

**Trefwoorden** territoriale ontwikkeling, sociale ongelijkheden, stedelijke infratructuur, sociaal beleid

**Mots-clés:** développement territorial, inégalités sociales, infrastructures urbaines, politiques sociales

## AUTHORS

### CHARLOTTE CASIER

Charlotte Casier is a postdoctoral researcher in geography. Her research is centred on the housing market and privileged immigration in Brussels and Montreal. Her thesis focused more specifically on coliving in Brussels. As part of this subject, she studied the financialisation of housing, its relationship with urban policies and the interactions between the flexibilisation of the labour market and the transformations of the rental market.

charlotte.casier[at]ulb.be

### ANNELOES VANDENBROCKE

Anneloes (Loes) Vandenbroucke has a doctorate in psychology (KU Leuven, 2003) and has been working at the Brussels Studies Institute since 2015. She currently holds the position of knowledge broker, aimed at improving the exchange of knowledge between Brussels administrations and researchers who work in Brussels. Previously, she was research director at HIVA - KU Leuven, where her work focused on the issue of social inequalities in education.

anneloes.vandenbroucke[at]ulb.be
JEAN-MICHEL DECROLY

Jean-Michel Decroly is a professor of human geography, demography and tourism at Université Libre de Bruxelles. He is the director of the IGEAT "Géographie appliquée et geoinformation" research unit. His research covers a wide range of topics, from recent demographic dynamics in Europe to the socio-environmental effects of major sporting events.

jean-michel.decroly[at]ulb.be

PIERRE MARISSAL

Pierre Marissal is a geographer at the Institut de Gestion de l'Environnement et d'Aménagement du Territoire at Université Libre de Bruxelles. He is specialised in the processing of statistical data within a finely detailed geographical framework, and has taken part in numerous studies on the economic and social dynamics of regions in Belgium and Europe.

pierre.marissal[at]ulb.be

MICHEL VANDENBROECK

Michel Vandenbroeck has a doctorate in educational science and is professor emeritus of family pedagogy in the Department of Social Work and Social Pedagogy at University of Ghent. His research focuses on early childhood education and care centres, and on parenting support practices and policies. He has carried out research on supply, demand and unequal access to Dutch-language childcare centres in Brussels for the Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie. He conducted the MeMoQ study (with Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) on the quality of childcare centres in the Dutch-speaking Community of Belgium, commissioned by Opgroeien.

michel.vandenbroeck[at]ugent.be

TRANSLATORS

HELEN WHITE