Update complaint procedure: Dutch Child care workers in North Rhine-Westphalia

In order to cope with labour market shortages and abundances in the area of child care work it has been proposed that Dutch child care workers be employed across the border in Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia). However, recognition procedures have proven to stand in the way of the swift labour market access of Dutch child care workers.

A current complaint procedure led by several parties in the region of The Netherlands / North Rhine Westphalia (Expertise Centre ITEM and the Service Grensoverschrijdende Arbeidsbemiddeling in particular) is aimed at finding out whether the cross-border mobility of child care workers may be facilitated. In particular, the complaint procedure is aimed at examining whether partial recognition as Erzieher could be enabled for Dutch child care workers.

The core of the issue complicating the labour market access of Dutch child care workers in North Rhine-Westphalia relates to a difference in the range of activities of the child care professions in the Netherlands and Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia). Nevertheless, the two professions of Dutch child care worker and Erzieher in North Rhine-Westphalia overlap where child care activities are concerned. As of yet, it is impossible for Dutch child care workers to exercise only that part of the Erzieher profession for which they are qualified. In order to work in Germany, they would have to fulfil extensive compensation measures. Because these may be discouraging of mobility, a complaint procedure was initiated with the objective of enabling the partial access of Dutch child care workers in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Recently, an update was received in the complaint procedure indicating that discussions are taking place at the relevant North Rhine-Westphalian ministries. In particular, the discussions relate to the potential availability of partial access in the field of child care work.