Complaint regulations for parents

What is a complaint ?
A complaint is a written expression of dissatisfaction by a parent. This may be dissatisfaction with the way he or his child has been treated by (an employee of) Stichting Kinderopvang Huizen or dissatisfaction with the agreement between the parent and the holder. Upon placement of their child(ren)
parents are informed of the existence of the complaint regulations and procedure.

What procedure should be followed?
In the event of an expression of dissatisfaction, the foundation will first mediate. It is preferable that dissatisfaction be expressed as soon as possible at the place where it originated. If it specifically concerns the behavior of a staff member or the happenings in the group, we advise the complainant to address the staff member or group involved. In this way, a possible solution can be sought together or any misunderstandings can be rectified. This can be done by appointment, in which both the complainant and the defendant may be assisted. If the complainant is not satisfied after the interview, or if the complaint is about the organization, the complainant files an official, written, complaint with the Team Manager or supervisor. The latter will carefully investigate the complaint and strive for a satisfactory resolution. If the complainant is dissatisfied with the settlement, they should write to the director, who will then assume the role of reaching a satisfactory settlement. Complaints not satisfactorily resolved through our mediation should be submitted to the Child Care Disputes Committee.

Duration of complaint handling and follow-up steps:
The starting point is to deal with the complaint as soon as possible. A complaint filed with employee, supervisor or director should be handled within two working weeks. Should this not prove possible, the complainant will in any case receive written information about the
progress of the complaint from the supervisor or director. If a written complaint is submitted to the Director, the Complainant will receive confirmation of receipt and information on the progress of the complaint within two working weeks. Within six weeks of receipt of the complaint, the supervisor or director will inform the Complainant (and others involved) in writing of its judgment/decision, with specific deadlines named within which any action will be realized. This may also include referring the complaint to the Child Care Disputes Committee. Should the set deadlines prove to be unfeasible, those affected will be notified with reasons.

What happens next with the complaints filed?
Any complaint that cannot be resolved at the place where it is expressed (e.g., transcends the group discussion) is then submitted in writing and recorded in the complaint file. The temporary complaint file is located at the site. The final file is located at the Service Bureau of Stichting Kinderopvang Huizen. The complainant can view their own file. Registration is the responsibility of the supervisor or the director, depending on to whom the complaint is made. The person registering the complaint completes the corresponding Complaint Mediation Form, adds relevant attachments and determines whether the complainant’s name is mentioned. Quarterly and after each calendar year, the complaint file is reviewed at the site head
consultation, and whether general measures should be taken. The quality officer shall prepare a concise and anonymized complaint annual report, indicating the number and nature of complaints handled by Stichting Kinderopvang Huizen. At a minimum, it should be made clear how many complaints there have been about the same issue, at which location, the scope of the judgments (it should be named whether the complaint is founded, unfounded or partially founded) and the nature of the action taken. Also, all complaints that have been handled by the Dispute Resolution Committee must be
Childcare included in it.

The director shall send the annual external report to the child care inspector by June 1 of the following calendar year. The COC receives a copy of the report and to reach all parents, the external complaint annual report is published on the website.

Secrecy
Anyone involved in the implementation of these regulations who receives confidential information in the process is obliged to maintain confidentiality.

Parents’ Committee
The parent may seek the assistance of the parent committee in a complaint. The parent committee can submit a complaint about the application of their advisory right directly to the Geschillencommissie Kinderopvang, which will only review whether Stichting Kinderopvang Huizen acted reasonably.

Childcare Disputes Committee
Our foundation is affiliated with the Child Care Disputes Committee, which issues an opinion on the complaint and may make recommendations to the board. Parents may file a complaint with the Child Care Disputes Committee if:

• Stichting Kinderopvang Huizen did not respond to the written complaint within six weeks;
• Parents and Stichting Kinderopvang Huizen have not agreed within six weeks on the handling of the complaint.

Parents may, exceptionally, file a complaint directly with the Child Care Disputes Committee if parents cannot reasonably be required to file a complaint with Stichting Kinderopvang Huizen under the circumstances. According to the law, the disputes committee must rule within 6 months. The rulings of the Dispute Commission are binding on both parents, parent committees and Stichting Kinderopvang Huizen.

Statute of limitations
A complaint must be filed within a reasonable time after the event that caused the dissatisfaction

Interested in the nature, quantity and handling of complaints in 2019?

Then read here
our 2019 annual complaint report.