Daycare & opening hours
Most IJsterk locations are open from 07:30 to 18:30.
We offer care 52 weeks a year, except on weekends and public holidays.
A few locations have different hours:
- De Kleine Plantage is open from 08:00 to 18:00.
- De Zeeheld is open from 08:30 to 13:50 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and only during school weeks.
Our locations are closed on public holidays, including New Year’s Day, Easter Monday, King’s Day, Liberation Day, Ascension Day, Whit Monday and Christmas.
De Zeeheld is an exception: as a preschool, it follows a different holiday schedule, aligned with that of OBS De Zeeheld.
You can pick up your child until the location closes. For most locations, that’s 18:30.
In some cases, extended care after your child’s fourth birthday is possible, for example in the period before they start primary school. This depends on availability and is always arranged in consultation with our child placement team.
Your child will be placed in a group with an available spot that matches their age.
Around two weeks before the start date, we’ll get in touch for an introductory conversation to go through everything together. You’ll also find out which group your child will be joining.
Group sizes and staff ratios are set by law and depend on factors such as the age of the children and the size of the space. We always comply with these guidelines.
We aim to provide as much stability as possible, so children can feel secure and build bonds with their group. Children don’t switch groups without good reason.
As your child gets older, they’ll naturally move on to the next group that matches their age.
You can let our child placement team know your preference and we’ll take it into account wherever possible.
Placement always depends on the available spots at the location.
You can always pass on your preference to our child placement team and we’ll look at what’s possible.
We can’t make any guarantees in advance, as placement depends on the available spots at the location.
IJsterk has several daycare locations in Amsterdam.
We aim to place your child at one fixed location wherever possible. In some cases, care across two locations can be a solution, for example if a full spot isn’t yet available at a single location.
It is possible to switch locations within IJsterk. To maintain stability and continuity for your child and their group, we do try to limit this where we can.
We understand it may sometimes be necessary, for example if you move. In that case, we’re happy to think through the options with you.
Most of our locations don’t have space to store prams. We use every bit of available space for the children, and space in Amsterdam is often limited.
We ask you to take your pram or buggy home with you. Some locations do have limited storage space. If so, we ask you to fold it down properly and only leave it if there’s room.
