Children & Education

Right to education

Every child has the right to education, including children who are here temporarily or have fled. Find out how education works in the Netherlands for children up to age 18 at refugeehelp.nl/school.

Compulsory education

In addition, every child is also subject to compulsory education. This means that children are not allowed to stay at home for one or more school days without a valid reason. Read more about this at When does my child not have to go to school? | Rijksoverheid.nl. So always inform the school if your child is ill and do not keep them off school for any other reason!

Transport to and from school

In the Netherlands, parents or guardians are responsible for ensuring that their child attends school every day. Preferably on foot or by bicycle. If travelling by bus, you must cover the cost yourself (unless you have a free public transport pass for the entire family). The municipality only provides assistance with pupil transport in exceptional cases. See this web page for the terms and conditions.

Schools

In Amersfoort, the following options are available:

• Children aged between 0 and 4 years old can attend a childcare centre if you work. You can choose a childcare location yourself, but many childcare places are full. If you have found a childcare centre, you may be entitled to childcare allowance. You can apply through the government at the (Dutch) website of the tax administration on childcare benefit. See this web page for information on qualifying for childcare benefit.
• Preschoolers (4 and 5-year-olds) can attend any primary school you wish, if space is available in the right age group.
• Children aged between 6 to 9 or 10 can attend the Language School (Taalschool) to learn Dutch and often, after a year, a regular primary school of your choice. You can register via aanmelden.oekraine@meerkring.nl.
• Pupils who reach the age of 11 or older during the new school year will attend secondary school in Leusden to learn Dutch. You can register via opvangvo@hetelement.eu. If their Dutch is good enough, they can continue at a regular secondary school of your choice.

When you register you should provide the following details:

• Their name;
• Their date of birth;

The location they are staying at and/or address.

In addition to going to school, children aged 14 and over are allowed to have a part-time job. But they are not allowed to do any heavy or dangerous paid work, only light chores. Read more on the central government website about part-time jobs and internships.

If you go out to work yourself, you should not leave your children on their own at the reception centre. The length of time and the age at which you may leave a child alone are not specified in the law. However, it is a criminal offence to leave a person who needs help alone. And it varies from child to child whether they can be alone and for how long. View the advice from the Youth Health Care Service about this.

Homework room

Ukrainian schoolchildren aged 10 and above can do homework in the classroom on Torenstraat in peace and quiet:

• Tuesdays 15:00 – 17:30
• Wednesdays 15:00 – 17:30

Apply to community coaches via pmoo@indebuurt033.nl. You can also do so at the library Het Eemhuis at Eemplein 71. Check out the Eemland Library webpage.

Palianytsia.hub

The Ukrainian social and cultural centre Palianytsia.hub at Torenstraat 3 also organises for children and young people:

• individual and group sessions with professional psychologists
• creative workshops with artists

For activities, follow Palianytsia.hub on Instagram, Facebook or WhatsApp.

Amersfoort has many sports clubs, an art school and more places where children can go. Check out the opportunities at

• Sports providers - Amersfoort Sports City 
• Scholen in de Kunst: courses and music lessons in Amersfoort
• Our offer - Neighbourhood Sports Coach
• Sport and exercise | Municipality of Amersfoort

Money for sports or cultural lessons for children

Would your child like to join a sports club or, for example, take dance or music lessons, but are you unable to pay the membership or course fees? Utrecht | Youth Fund for Sports & Culture provides support. Visit the webpage, choose a club and ask your community coach or www.indebuurt033.nl/information shops to help you with the application.

Other activities:

• The ABC organises activities for children aged 4-18 years old. See (Dutch) website of ABC Amersfoort
• All children who attend primary school will receive a ‘ZomerPretPas’ (Summer Fun Pass) there. This gives them access to various activities, either free or at a discount. Children aged 2 to 14 who are not attending a primary school can collect one. See ZomerPretPas.
• 'City of A' is organising all kinds of activities for young people aged 12-18 years old. Keep an eye on the (Dutch) City of A website for the programme! Or they can visit one of the Youth Centres - Indebuurt033.
• Outings and children’s activities in the region - Kidsproof Amersfoort
• For young people between the ages of 12 and 18 there is the social media project LUNA (t.ly). Find out about activities for young people from Ukraine, talk about what matters to young people, exchange ideas, take part in challenges, share vlogs, set up online activities together and much more.

Young people in Amersfoort also meet each other through De Reset

Outdoor playgrounds

At the reception centres, there is sometimes little space for children to play undisturbed. But children can play outside at many places in Amersfoort. On amersfoort.nl/speelplekkenyou will find various suggestions and a map on Amersfoort in beeld/speelplekken, so that you can see where your children can play near you. Outside the summer holidays, they can also go to a Buitenkast playground.

Toy bank

If you need toys and do not have enough money to buy them in a shop, you can go to the Speelgoedbank Amersfoort. You do need a referral letter for that first. You can get it by emailing leefgeld@amersfoort.nl.

Reading tip

You can find stories for children aged 3-10 in Ukrainian, Russian, English and various other languages at www.ririro.com. To read together or even to practice your Dutch together.