Gender equality in paid parental leaves
According to UNICEF, two-thirds of the world's countries still haven't legislated paid paternity leave. In gender bias, mothers are seen as the primary caregivers of newborns, so multiple countries only have paid maternity leave. The Netherlands is among the remaining one-third of countries where fathers have the right to spend as much time with their newborns as mothers. Other countries offer shorter paid leaves to new fathers than to new mothers. For example, in the UK, new mothers are entitled to 39 weeks of paid leave while new fathers only get two consecutive weeks.
Scandinavian and Low Countries (the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg) have some of the best ratings for gender equality in the world, so it should not be surprising that they are among the few that offer equal parental leave for mothers and fathers. Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands, for instance, don't distinguish between genders when it comes to paid parental leave. According to a Forbes article, the “Total Devotion” culturally expected of men at work (a term of the academic Rosabeth Moss Kanter) harms workplace equality. In countries where paternity leaves are normalized, women are less penalized at work for sometimes prioritizing childcare over work.
The Netherlands is family-friendly in other ways
The Netherlands has consistently ranked among the worldwide Top 15 of various studies about the quality of life for parents and their children. This includes UNICEF reports, the HSBC Expat Explorer Survey, and studies by the travel and family journalism company Asher & Lyric. Indeed, beyond paid parental leave, the Netherlands also provides numerous conditions that make raising a family there an excellent idea.
• Generous childcare allowances
In the Netherlands, various childcare allowances make life easier for the parents of both newborns and older children. University students with children and non-citizens who hold valid residence permits (i.e., expats) are also eligible for these allowances.
The kinderbijslag scheme allows parents to receive €249,31 for each child between 0-5 years old, €302,74 for a child between 6 and 11 years old, and €356,16 for a child between 12 and 17 years old per quarterly basis (i.e., every 3 months). This is to help with the child's general expenses like food and clothing.
In addition to the kinderbijslag, which all parents automatically receive, there are also the kindgebonden budget for lower-income parents and the kinderopvangtoeslag to partially cover childcare costs. The childcare allowance requires the parents to have a contract with a registered childminder or childcare center. The exact amount of childcare covered depends on the parents' income, working hours and the total number of children, but the maximum covered is currently €8.50 per hour for daycare, for 230 hours per month and per child.
• Excellent education system
The report ‘Worlds of Influence' published by UNICEF in 2020 ranked the Netherlands as the first in developed countries in terms of school children's wellbeing. 78% of Dutch children in kindergarten, elementary school, middle and high school reported life satisfaction in terms of sense of school belonging, ability to make friends and lack of stress in addition to access to educational resources and core academic skills (e.g.: math). According to The Hague International Center, children's voices are valued in Dutch democracy. They are encouraged to speak up at school, and schools regularly meet with a Children's Council to put forward the students' issues.
• Spaces to play
This small European country offers plenty of space for kids to play sports and enjoy nature. Firstly, the Netherlands has a great network of bike lanes, including those which pass through scenic areas. Through biking, families can enjoy the beautiful scenery like the famous tulip fields. These biking lanes are filled with markings and signals to make them safer, including for children.
In urban regions, three percent of residential areas are reserved for children's playgrounds, sandboxes and sports facilities like basketball courts, as mentionned on the website of the federal government office, The Hague International Center. The Netherlands is ranked the 16th safest country in the world by the World Population Review, which also makes its outdoor spaces safe for children to play in.
• High English proficiency
The Netherlands frequently tops the English Proficiency Index for the best non-native English speakers, with over 90% of the Dutch population being proficient in English. This means that, as an expat, you and your children won't have trouble adapting to the linguistic environment of the country, as long as you speak English as either a native language or a foreign language.
