Aruba’s childcare ordinance: what it means for centers and parents

What is the Landsverordening kinderopvang?

On 15 June 2017, Aruba’s Parliament unanimously adopted the Landsverordening kinderopvang (Official Gazette of Aruba 2017 no. 38). Its purpose: rules to safeguard and promote quality in childcare, in the interest of children cared for in childcare centers.

According to Departamento di Enseñansa Aruba (EA), the law aligns with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and forms part of the Social Crisis Plan (SCP).

It applies to childcare provided on a commercial basis for five or more children, from six weeks of age until they leave primary education. A facility where that care takes place is called a kindercentrum (childcare center).

Entry into force and supervision

In September 2023, the Government of Aruba announced that the law for childcare centers (centronan di cuido di mucha) had entered into force. Departamento di Mucha y Hoben (DMH), established in 2022, is responsible for matters including the register, guidance toward licensing, and supervision of implementation.

At that announcement, more than eighty childcare centers were reported as officially registered. Centers not yet registered were urged to register via DMH with a view to obtaining a permit.

For administrative enforcement, the Landsbesluit bestuurlijke handhaving voorschriften kinderopvang (AB 2023 no. 27) was issued on 19 July 2023, with rules on entry reports, orders under penalty, and administrative fines.

What changes for childcare centers?

The core obligations for operators are in the ordinance itself. Key points below — always verify with DMH or the current ministerial regulations and quality handbook for your situation.

Permit and register

It is prohibited to operate a childcare center without a permit from the Minister. A permit application includes identity and background information, floor plans, insurance, and certificates of conduct and medical/health declarations for people working at the center.

The Minister maintains a register of childcare centers; after a permit is granted, centers are entered with status “registered”.

Quality, staffing and space

Operators must provide responsible childcare that supports a child’s healthy development in a safe environment. During care hours, at least two people must be present, including at least one caregiver (begeleider).

• Staff–child ratios (art. 13): e.g. max. 6 children (6 weeks–1 year), 10 (1–2), 12 (2–3), 13 (3–4), 14 (4–6), 16 (age 6 until end of primary school) per caregiver.
• Adequate play space per group; the center must have at least one outdoor area.
• Sleep or rest facilities by age and length of stay (art. 14).
• Opening hours generally max. 06:00–20:00; a child may not stay more than 12 hours per day.

Informing and involving parents

Childcare is based on a written agreement between the operator and the parent. Before that agreement, the operator must inform the parent in writing about policy, how contact with parents is maintained, complaints handling, parent/child participation, and emergency procedures.

During care, the center must be reachable by phone. There must also be a complaints procedure brought to parents’ attention.

Quality requirements handbook

Article 17 provides for a handbook on childcare quality requirements (to be set by ministerial regulation). It may cover nutrition, care, health, wellbeing and upbringing; policy; caregiver training and experience; employment practices; and further rules on hygiene, premises and safety. For the current status of that handbook, consult DMH / official publications.

What does this mean for parents?

For parents, the law is mainly a quality and safety framework: registered, licensed centers, clear information before enrollment, and clear agreements on policy, contact and complaints.

Questions you can ask: Is this center in the register? Is there a permit (process)? How will I be informed about my child’s day? How do complaints work?

Good parent communication is not only “nice to have” — the law explicitly requires operators to inform parents how contact is maintained. That matches what many parents on Aruba want: staying closer to their child without unsafe WhatsApp or Facebook groups.

Creches, Traimerdia, after-school care and other forms

The ordinance covers childcare and childcare centers as defined above (commercial care of five or more children, until the end of primary school). Private creches and other commercial centers that meet that definition fall under this framework.

Traimerdia is a separate government after-school programme (kindergarten and primary, including special education), run via Bureau Traimerdia / Departamento di Enseñansa. That is not the same as the private childcare-center sector under the LV. Whether a specific location (e.g. private after-school care) falls under the LV depends on the facts — ask DMH.

Across forms of care, Aruba’s aim is the same: safe, quality care for children, with clear responsibilities for providers.

How Aruba wants to improve quality — and where CreceCumi fits

The government line is clear: safeguard quality and safety through permits, a register, quality requirements, supervision and enforcement — aligned with children’s rights and the Social Crisis Plan.

CreceCumi is not a legal requirement and does not replace a permit or inspection. The platform does help childcare centers, creches and teams do what the law also values in practice: inform parents well, maintain professional contact, and free up time for care and development.

In practice: a secure parent app instead of WhatsApp groups; digital daily reports and photos only for the right parent; staff who report quickly; management with overview — in Papiamento, Dutch, English and Spanish. That brings parents closer to their child and works hand in hand with kinderopvang, after-school care, Traimerdia contexts and creches to raise communication and organisation quality.

• Parent involvement: daily updates that support the duty to inform parents.
• Professionalism: one platform instead of scattered chats — calm for teams, trust for parents.
• Privacy: child data and photos protected, fitting centers’ duty of care.
• Local: built for Aruba’s multilingual reality.