Creches in Brussels (Schaerbeek)

[NichyNoo]

Hi all - I know this is a very specific question but I am looking for advice/recommendations for a creche in Schaerbeek please.

I have 4 options but am undecided and can't find any Belgian review websites or anything to help me decide!

My choices are:

• Kidfarwest Ave Tervuren
• BB Bulle (Evere/Schaerbeek)
• A P'tit Pas Avenue Chazal
• A Petits Pas Bld Lambermont

Does anyone have any feedback on these creches or can you point me in the direction of any review websites please?(French is fine).

Also, one of my main concerns is the ratio of staff to kids which is around 1 to 7 for babies and 1 to 10 for toddlers in most of the creches we have seen which seems a bit high to me! Any advice welcome!!! Thank you

There don't seem to be any Ofsted equivilent reports here. In my opinion, the standard of creches in Belgium isn't a patch on the UK. My dd went to Boumbadaboum in Evere. It was only for about 6 months though before she started maternelle. She seemed happy enough and Isabelle there was very helpful with potty training.

Where abouts are you living/working? Are you a BCT member? They can be very helpful with this kind of stuff.

Flemish crèches are accredited by Kind & Gezin (Child and Family) - that's the equivalent of the Health Visitor's clinic.

Maybe the french speaking ones are accredited by ONE? I'm not sure.

One to seven ratio does seem high but crèches tend to be run with military precision.

Belgo is quote right ONE oversees the French ones.

In my experience, you don't get the EYFS kind of thing that you do in the UK. My creche was great for potty training, and table manners, and they all went for a nap after lunch. But otherwise the (2) staff just watched over the children while they played. They might have got a story in the afternoon.

It's just as well I have absolutely no experience of english nurseries, as I have a friend who pays 50 quid a day! You would expect luxury for that! In Belgium the most people pays is 20 euros a day or thereabouts. There may be private crèches there are more expensive.

I have been very happy with the flemish nurseries that my children have been to, they do a variety of activities including baby massage, finger painting, outdoor play.

The ratio is typical for Belgium, also in the health care professions there is a high patient to staff ratio, you are taught to work very efficiently and a lot is expected of you. That's just the belgian way of doing things.

The main thing is to get your name on the list as soon as you get that +ve test, or even before!

Thanks for the advice! I'm due on 7 August and am just waiting to see one final creche before making a decision

All the ones we have seen have been registered with either ONE or Kind en Gezin so get inspected etc.

So far they have all said they will have space for when we need it (Feb 2011) but want to make a decision asap to ensure we get a place!

Have just signed up for the BCT antenatal course and year's membership.

Thanks again

Belgian creches sound uncannily similar to French creches...

The Commission ones are very luxurious (pureed asparagus for lunch anyone?) but, like other Belgian creches, it's basically, as a colleague put it, babysitting. Which is fine when they are babies but not as they grow older. Pulled my DC out at two and put her in the nursery section of an English primary - also much cheaper there than back home and with, if I recall, three teachers/assistants for about 15 children.

Bellissima - can I ask which English primary you put your DC in please? Thanks

BJAB. A colleague of mine at the Council was a Governor there at the time - had lunch with him the day after I picked DC up at the creche and found her alone and bored in the corner of the garden - call made to school that afternoon, visit next day and transfer shortly thereafter!

NB this was eight years ago and I know that there are several English primaries, all of which have their fans. BJAB at the time had two English and one francophone teacher/assistant (think the English were both qualified teachers) in early years, and a very nice woman in charge of after-school if DC needed to stay a bit some days. DH then got a job at the Agency in London and she transferred to Reception there - she would have really struggled if she hadn't been at the nursery for two years even though it was in some senses far less convenient than the creche.

Nichy, we've been looking at creches too. All my friends and colleagues put their children in the Kidfarwest ones. They're all very happy with the care provided and the activities, especially from 18 months onwards when the children have more structure to their day.

Apparently the creches communales are fantastic if you can get a place.

We've been told by the other 7 creches we contacted that they are fully booked until Sep '11, so unless we get in at the creche communale, we're going with Kidfarwest.