RaisingAmsterdam | expat parent community in Amsterdam

Babysitters, nannies and child-related services, urgent SOS help, parent meetups, and plain-English guides to the Dutch system — for internationals raising children in Amsterdam and the wider Netherlands, written by a childcare professional based in Amsterdam.

Guides to the Dutch system

Childcare & daycare — KDV, peuteropvang, VVE, childcare costs and the kinderopvangtoeslag allowance
Your child's health — free insurance for under-18s, the huisarts and the consultatiebureau
Midwife & kraamzorg — the verloskundige, postnatal home care and what it costs
Primary school in Amsterdam — basisschool, leerplicht and Amsterdam's joint registration
Paperwork & waiting lists — registering a birth, BSN and DigiD for newcomers
Child & baby first aid — kinder-EHBO courses in English
Swimming & the zwemdiploma — the Zwem-ABC diplomas
Childcare in the Netherlands — the long-form printable guide

Community

Listings — babysitters, nannies and services offered by and for local parents
SOS board — urgent, last-minute requests for childcare help
Meetups — in-person gatherings for expat parents and their children
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Practical orientation for parents who did not grow up in the Dutch system — not official or medical advice. Rules change; each guide links to the authoritative Dutch source.

Guides for expat parents in the Netherlands

Understand the Dutch system with practical, plain-English information for international families living in Amsterdam.