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Family- and child-related policies, childcare and education fall within the competences of the Belgian language communities, namely the Flemish (Dutch-speaking) Community, the French-Speaking Community and the German-speaking community.
Belgium actively advocates a healthy work-life balance
It is therefore particularly important to strike a healthy balance between work, leisure and family life.
Belgium has adopted many measures to facilitate this, including:
- Maternity, paternity and parental leave.
- Birth grant, to help with initial costs incurred when a baby is born.
- Child benefit; foreign researchers with children who are living with them are entitled to a monthly allowance to give them a helping hand.
- High quality childcare facilities (crèches and child-minders).
Pre-school childcare in Belgium (in crèches and with childminders) is generally of a very high standard. We advise you to opt for childcare facilities that are approved and regularly monitored by the authorities: “Kind enGezin”, in the case of Dutch-speaking childcare facilities, the “Office de la Naissance et de l’Enfance” (ONE) in the case of French-speaking childcare facilities.
Some crèches and childminders are partly subsidized and how much you pay will depend on your income, others are private and are generally more expensive. If you would like to send your child to subsidized childcare, it is important to apply well in advance as places are limited and there are often waiting lists.
Information about local childcare facilities (both crèches and childminders) can be found on the website of the town hall of your municipality of residence.
You should also check with your host institution whether they offer childcare facilities.- Free schooling for all children as from the age of two and a half..
Primary and Secondary education is among the competences of the language Communities.
All primary and secondary education in local schools is in one of the local languages. In Flanders, it is organised in Flemish (Dutch). In Wallonia, it will be French or German depending on the Community (French-speaking or German-speaking). And it will be either in Dutch or French in Brussels. In Wallonia, a certain number of local schools offer English or Dutch immersion programmes, and in Brussels a certain number of local schools offer Dutch immersion programmes.
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For a general overview of the Flemish education system, please use the following link: https://www.vlaanderen.be/en/your-future-in-flanders/education#student-permits-and-registration.
Information on Flemish (Dutch-speaking) schools in Flanders and Brussels can be found at http://onderwijs.vlaanderen.be/ouders.
Information on school enrolment and registration can be found at https://www.vlaanderen.be/en/studying/school-enrolment-and-registration.
Your local Euraxess service centre may be able to assist with finding school places.
For an overview of the different study programmes, universities and non-university higher education institutions, please turn to the following link: www.studyinflanders.be/.
Looking for help and advice about childcare?
The Flemish entity ‘Kind en Gezin’ (Child and Family) is responsible for Dutch-speaking child-related policies/services in Flanders and Brussels. As part of the Flemish agency ‘Opgroeien’ (Growing up), it is specifically competent for the following responsibilities:
- registration of high quality child care;
- optimal support for parents-to-be and parents of young children;
- organisation of baby clinics;
- the criteria to be met by adoption agencies.
Additional information can be found at https://www.kindengezin.be/en/child-and-family.
Belgium
