Application

We provide childcare exclusively for Leiden University. One of the parents must be a student at or an employee of Leiden University or an affiliated institution.
Children are placed on a waiting list in the order in which the registration forms are received. The second and subsequent children from the same family are eligible for priority placement.
Placement is for a minimum of two days per week and a period of four months.

You can register by clicking here.
You can also request a tour, but due to the waiting list, we recommend that you register in advance with no obligation.

Placement

When there is a place for you, you will receive an offer for this place showing the days that are available and the start date. If you would like to accept the offer, you will receive placement agreement by digital signature and when you have signed you agree to the General Terms and Conditions for Child Care and de Kattekop’s additional terms and conditions . Three weeks before the start date, we will contact you again to arrange an introduction meeting and two days for your child to come in and adjust to the day care centre.

Swapping days and extra days

Would you like to swap a day? You can do so if there’s still space available. You can swap a day within the same week, or up to two weeks before or after. Request the swap at least three weeks in advance through the parent portal.

Public holidays and days when the day care centre is closed cannot be swapped.
Once a swap day has been granted, you give up your regular day; you may no longer use the day you have swapped.
An extra day has priority over a swap day.
Swapping days is a service and not a right.

It could be that you need an extra day. If there is enough room within the group, that’s fine. You will receive an invoice for it. You can request a one-off extra day via the online parents’ portal. If you wish to permanently change the number of days your child attends the day care centre, please send an email to our administration department.

You can also ask the pedagogical professionals for tips and ideas about parenting.

Ending the Contract

Cancelling a place before the start date: Any cancellation must be done in writing or by email. We have a notice period of one month. In case of cancellation more than one month before the start date, € 100.- administration costs will be charged.
The contract ends when a child reaches school age: When a child is four years old, the placement is automatically cancelled. Exceptions to this rule are possible, if there is room within the group: when a child turns four in the summer vacation and can’t go directly to school, for example. This decision will be made by the day care centre’s management.
Ending the contract before a child reaches school age: Ending the contract should be done in writing or by email addressed to the manager. There is a one month notice period.
Your link with Leiden University comes to and end: Your child can continue to make use of the day care centre until it is four years old. If a new brother or sister is born, they can also make use of the day care centre, if he/she uses the daycare at the same time.

Tariff

Hourly Rate 2026

De Kattekop’s hourly rate for 2026 is € 10,92. The government reimburses up to € 11,23 per hour (2026 price level). The day care centre is open for 11 hours a day. One day per week is 47,75 hours per month. The gross cost for one day per month is € 520- (rounded up to the nearest Euro).

This amount is a gross amount; the actual cost will be someone less because of your childcare allowance.

This amount includes nappies/diapers and (warm) meals. You need to provide your own bottled formula and a drinking bottle.
There is no refund if a child does not attend because they are ill, on vacation or any other reason.
Pre-announced, fixed dates when the day care centre will be closed and public holidays will not be deducted from the monthly fee.

Childcare Allowance

The Dutch Tax Authority provides parents with an allowance for the cost of childcare: the Childcare Allowance (Kinderopvangtoeslag in Dutch).

You will receive this allowance directly from the Tax Authority (Belastingdienst in Dutch) every month and it is takes into account your income, the number of hours that you make use of the day care centre and the hourly rate. The terms and conditions of what you are due to are set out on the Tax Authority’s website.

De Kattekop is registered at the National Register under number 122073678.

Calculation Tool

Fill out your details and calculate the net amount that you will have to pay:

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