In the mediaExpat Awards Netherlands  Delft MaMa founder Lucie Cunningham
was the runner-up for the 2011
Expat of the Year Netherlands. Thank you for all your votes! ------------------------------------------  2010 Baby information Fair Photo album
Article in Delft op Zondag about the Baby Information Fair 2010.
Founder of Delft MaMa Lucie Cunningham interviewed for Delft op Zondag, read the article here .
Also an article about the Kansenbeurs and Delft MaMa in de Stadskrant.
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Parenting in Delft |
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Resources for Parents in Delft Stichting Delft MaMa keeps a list of Delft parenting specialists (general parenting and special needs) and of expat parenting support providers in South Holland. Please send us an email at
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if you have questions. You can also contact ACCESS at http://www.access-nl.org/our_services/information.htm---------------------------------Children story book readings as well as arts and crafts activities in
DOK Central at Vesteplein 100 in Delft it is free for all who attend, wonderful for the children and a great networking place for parents, grandparents and care takers----------------------------------------------If you know that you will need your baby to attend daycare, it is highly recommended you register with the daycare of your choice while you are still pregnant. There are very long waiting lists, especially for those which have a very good reputation. This is a link to a Dutch site www.kiddo.net which lets you search for kinderdagverblijven (0 to 4 years-old) by zip code.There are a few English -speaking playgroups/daycares in the larger Hague area.Two year old children (some start at 2 ½ ) attend Delft peuterspeelzalen which offer morning group activities for children to socialize and learn together till they start with primary school (basisschool) at 4. The official compulsory age to start basisschool is 5, though most children start on their 4th birthday Stichting Delft Peuterspeelzalen is the largest organization in Delft which runs peuterspeelzalen
Another option is to hire a gastouder , a person who cares for a small number of children (from 6 weeks years of age till 12 years old for after school care) usually from their homes, occasionally at yours. --------------------------------------------- List of Delft Primary Schools and School Holiday Calendar List of Primary Schools: http://www.delft.nl/content.jsp?objectid=34299
School Holiday Calendar: http://www.delft.nl/content.jsp?objectid=34307
Inspection Reports in Dutch on Delft schools: http://www.owinsp.nl/nl/home/Algemeen/zoeken/Zoek_op_scholen
At least one private primary school (DSV) in Delft is so requested (some people who live outside of Delft also enroll due to its reputation of high academic standards and small class groups) that to get a chance for your child to get in, you also need to register during your pregnancy. For other popular ones, it is wise to register your child(ren) well before the required age of three to stand a chance of a place.
There is a wide variety of schools to choose from, all follow national standards but teach in different ways. The standard procedure is to call up the school to make an appointment with the director to show the school and ask questions before being set on a waiting list. Alls chools are required to have an open day once a day, for some chools it is encouraged to come that day instead of making an individual appointment.
In Delft there are public (publiek as in non private), Christian (crhistelijk) , Catholic (katoliek), "liberal" (vrijeschool", Dalton plan, Jena Plan, Montessori and Freinet educational styles at the primary school level.Some may be religious but the level of religious content in the school life can be very moderate and open to atheists and members of other religions. Ask these schools about whether children are asked to pray or learn about the scripture and to what level.Dutch schools tend to let children make more decisions about the content of their day than in other countries. Take the time to visit schools and ask questions to find out which schools match your parenting values.
Your best bet is to ask parents with children already enrolled at a primary school for more than a year. Contact Lucie at
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in case you are looking for an expat parent's advice on a particular school.
The sort of questions you might ask after a school tour could be:
Is communication with teachers and director easy? If a child complains about being bullied what steps are taken?Are learning difficulties spotted rapidly, and when they are, what actions does the school take? Is there any tutoring for children who need to catch up with Dutch language or other subjects? does the school encourage parents' involvement?Do children mostly decide what projects they will work on or does their teacher?
Do children learn another language or how to use computers?
Do children have to come home for lunch or is there a service of eating there bringing their own lunch and being helped by staff?Which sports facilities are available at the school or nearby gym ?What school hours should I expect for my child?If I need after school care by when do I need to arrange it and where?
This is an overview of the Dutch school system in French http://www.adfe.org/pays-bas/articles.php?lng=fr&pg=3563 through ADFE Association des Francais a` l' Etranger des Pays Bas. They organize many activities to understand local culture and promote the French language and arts in The Netherlands. ---------------------------------------------
Bilingual education (Dutch/English) for older children in Delft is only currently available at GrotiusCollege (click on onderwijs, afdelingen, Tweetalig Onderwijs) which is a more affordable option than international schools. -------------------------------------------------
Family friendly cafes or cafeterias which are non-smoking, have high chairs, reasonably priced food.--------------------------------------------------
List of playgrounds and parks in and around Delft. Good places to make new friends and take some fresh air as a family. -----------------------------------------------------------------List of Toy Libraries in DelftSpeel-o-theek De Blokkendoos a place where you can take 2 toys for 3 weeks. This gives the opportunity to your children (from 1 to 10 years old) to diversify toys and prevents parents buying too many. To become a member cost 22,50 Euros for the whole year. To register for the first time, bring your passport. The place is open Friday at 19.30-20.30 or Saturday 10.00 -11.30. The address is: Mozartlaan 672, Delft.
Tel. 06-12397775 only during the above time mentioned. Come along! and become a member!Speel-o-theek ‘t Stokpaardje Every Saturday betwen 10.00 and 12.00 except school holidays in community center Wijkcentrum De Parel, in theVermeertoren tower, door on the Provicniale weg street sidevan Beresteijnstraat 99T: 015 - 21403018,50 euro per year, per toy 30 eurocent for up to 3 weeks, 6 weeks if during Summer holidayThey have indoors and outdoors toys for children from 0 to 10 years of age. http://www.buurtraad75.nl/ under activiteiten/weekoverichtif you live outside of Delft check out your stadsgids (city guide available at your city hall or online) for a "speelotheek" near you -------------------------------------------------------- Delft Gemeente's website to share information about services and activities available in Delft for foreign and Dutch citizens. Available in English and Dutch. ------------------------------------------Database of all women's organizations in Delft
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Useful Information 
