Does your peuter (toddler) or kleuter (pre-schooler) not speak Dutch well enough yet? Your child will learn Dutch through voorschoolse of vroegschoolse educatie, VVE (pre-school or early-childhood education).
Last updated 14 August 2025
Pre-school education for toddlers aged 2.5 to 4
Toddlers aged 2.5 to 4 can go to a playgroup or day nursery for pre-school education (link in Dutch).
Contact your municipality if your child needs pre-school education. The municipality will decide whether your toddler can go.
If your child can go, you will get a VVE indication from the baby clinic. You can use this indication to sign up your toddler for pre-school education.
Early-childhood education for children in groups 1 and 2
Children in groups 1 and 2 can go to a primary school for early-childhood education (link in Dutch). Contact your child’s primary school for this.
The central government gives primary schools money for early childhood education. That way, primary schools can help children who are behind in their language development (or at risk of falling behind).