Our happy place
Childcare Op Stoom, how nice it is that you are here! You may find it interesting to take a look behind the scenes. Then you can see that we enjoy the small things and sometimes worry about big things. A lot is happening in childcare and recently, just when it was really necessary… Dex came to solve things behind the scenes 😉.
Kind regards,
Gerda, Renate & Linda
Dex, from daycare, is doing his thing in the office. Happily jumps around, is curious, answers the phone and asks questions. #littleluckintheoffice
Dex, van het kinderdagverblijf, doet zijn ding op kantoor. Huppelt vrolijk rond, is nieuwsgierig, neemt de telefoon op en stelt vragen. #kleingelukopkantoor
Our pedagogy in the picture
Our pedagogy and your children continue to fascinate us endlessly. We started with the observations of our Pedagogy called PiB (Pedagogy in the picture). This is an internal evaluation instrument for childcare and is about the pedagogical quality of the care group. Merel van den Berg is one of the four pedagogical employees who has been trained as an observer. In June she wrote this piece on our intranet for the employees. Fun to read!
"Yesterday was the day: the first observation (this time for real) for PiB is a fact! Cluster manager Karlien and I are observers and spent an afternoon watching one of the after school care centers of Op Stoom in Haarlem. A beautiful afternoon! It's great that this team wanted to kick off with us. It is a privilege to watch from the sidelines and see all those little moments between the children, between the pedagogical staff and the moments between staff and children together."
The team discusses the observations together with the cluster manager. The qualities to celebrate and the tips that can be expressed as an annual goal. Pedagogical staff about PiB:
"I thought beforehand that it would be a bit uncomfortable, but this was much less the case than when the GGD comes, this is really very different. And it is very nice that it is an announced observation with at least one trusted person (the cluster manager). I was proud to show how we work as a team at the BSO and what we have achieved here".
Staff shortage, how is it now?
Childcare is going through a difficult period. Many (future) parents are confronted with this and are unable to find a place for their child. The demand for childcare remains high, but given the current labor market, we are unfortunately unable to place many new children.
Recruiting helps
These past six months we have recruited a lot and fortunately we have some new employees. The outflow is slightly larger, which means that from January to now we have reduced by 2 hours of pedagogical employees. Working closer to home or a job in education are often heard reasons for switching jobs. It's not an easy task, but recruiting still helps. Will you continue to think along with us about who would like to work for us?
Temporary workers, self employed and our own Op Stoom class
Some child care organizations have decided not to work with temporary workers. We try to avoid closing groups for as long as possible and we work together with, for example, Ludios and Mindsetmovers. Two employment agencies for qualified athletes. Because we consider quality important, the temporary workers receive training in our own Op Stoom's pedagogy. Then they know what we expect when they are with the children. We deploy these sporty athletes as much as possible at one location instead of having them work continuously changing shifts. That is better for themselves, the children and for colleagues.
Freelancers with expertise in art, theater or nature are also welcome with us. We now occasionally work with freelancers and hope that they will be able to find us better in the near future.
Op Stoom has had its own training class for many years. For when working with children is your thing but you don't have the right papers. We are pleased that the government has promised that we can deploy more employees in training for the time being. https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/actueel/nieuwsbriefs/changes-kinderopvang/2022/6-nieuwsbrief-8 (Not available in english). Another class will start in September. We do find that recruiting lateral entrants is not as easy as before.
New roles on the groups
Not so long ago we started a new function of group helper at our daycare centers. This works very well in practice. The group helpers carry out supporting activities under the responsibility of the pedagogical employee. Help when children make their own sandwich, ensure that the beds are clean and fresh, read books and play outside. It feels good on all sides. So good that we decided to start recruiting group helpers for the after-school care as well.
So do you know anyone else? Here's the vacancy! https://werkenbij.opstoom.nl/vacatures/groepshulp-m-v/
Every year our own Op Stoom class & YES…they all succeeded to get their PW4!
The Zuiderpolder is now called…
The new name is the start of a great new adventure. Three organizations have been working together for years on the Vrijheidsweg in Haarlem-East. We provide after-school care, Hero toddler care and Spaarnesant primary education. This is going so well that we see opportunities to intensify our cooperation. We are working on a single pedagogical vision, so that we approach the children in the same way from 07:30 to 18:30.
Safe haven
The new name for the care and education location in the Zuiderpolder has been well thought out. Camelot is the castle of the legendary King Arthur, known through many stories and movies. The name Camelot appeals to the imagination and is adventurous. King Arthur went out into the wide world with the Knights of the Round Table to do good deeds. Camelot was their safe haven, the place where they shared their experiences and made new plans together. The new path we are taking together requires a new name and Camelot fits well with who we are.
Big little kid party
On June 29th, the new name was unveiled during a cheerful party for all children, parents and employees.
Good vibes
Four colleagues from St. Eustatius visited Op Stoom this spring. Super fun because we know each other well and we can't stop talking about children. We all love those little ones and want the best for them. From 2020, Op Stoom and the childcare organizations on St. Eustatius are happily working together.
The Bes(t)4kids project (subsidized by the Dutch government) is there to give a quality boost to childcare on St. Eustatius. And this is going well! The six child care organizations on St. Eustatius have recently started working with a pedagogical policy plan and we are working on its implementation together. Several Op Stoom employees took care of a part of the program during their work visit with our colleagues from St. Eustatius. In training courses and during coaching in the workplace, we paid a lot of attention to giving children space to discover all kinds of things themselves. We have had good conversations about the development of children and the role of childcare in this.
Myrthe from BSO De Zonnewijzer, Joyce from BSO De Argonauten, Chantal from toddler care Antonius & Leon from daycare center De Ripperda worked for two weeks in child care on St. Eustatius last January. Bibi from our Marketing & Communication department was also there. Their journey was unforgettable. Judith from daycare center Rutherford, Andrea from BSO Plein Oost, Aicha from daycare center Elsbroek and Lisa from daycare center De Zuidwester will work for two weeks in child care on St. Eustatius in October to share their expertise with the colleagues there.
Men's evening
Men in childcare and education are by far in the minority. Op Stoom likes to work with mixed teams and we employ many men. Not only because our men are so funny and sociable, but also because we find the influence of men in a pedagogical field important. Men are and react differently from women. Boys can identify with male pedagogical staff and everyone likes that men regularly offer very different activities.
The men of Op Stoom meet annually to discuss topics that you as a man have to deal with in childcare.
Working in childcare means working with children who blurt out all kinds of things, including sexuality. In addition, a child sometimes needs help to go to the toilet. We think it is important to discuss the vulnerability of this with the men (and also the women of course) and to use clear guidelines so that we can guarantee safety for children and that the employee does not unintentionally end up in a difficult situation. Our men are continuously aware of certain situations with children and adjust their behavior or action accordingly to avoid any wrong conclusion by others.
All kinds of experiences were exchanged on the men's evening and this resulted in great conversations, in addition to a lot of fun. It's nice to know that all men present feel supported by Op Stoom, enjoy working with women and really appreciate the women of Op Stoom. The collaboration has an additional effect in practice, whereby there is really only a (small) difference at the moment of intervention in certain situations. Men intervene slightly later than women. They look at things a little longer and then observe whether the children can solve the situation themselves. However, this does involve mutual understanding between colleagues.
It was striking that our men are sometimes still viewed through different eyes by parents. Sometimes with suspicion. This changes once the parents get to know the men and hear from their children how the day went.
We are proud of all Op Stoom employees and after such a men's evening, we are extra proud of all the great guys. Because of their openness, honesty and involvement!
No Sweat!
The Grachtenloop, we love it. We like fun. Working together, having a drink together and yes… running is also a party.
39 Op Stoom employees took part in the Grachtenloop in Haarlem on 24 June. Look at them go…
Successful Parents Evening!
An evening from your lazy chair about pedagogy and the development of your own child. "What do you wish for children?" is a training that every pedagogical employee at Op Stoom has followed. So nice to share the content with you.
More than 350 parents attended. The meeting was intended for children aged 0 – 12 years, but the main focus was on the development of the young child (0 – 4 years). This is a point of attention for us for next time. Fortunately, we have received positive feedback that it was really interesting for many parents.
Behind the scenes during the parents' evening with Wilma van Esch. Romeo and Bibi (both from Op Stoom) provided the technology and the hosting of the evening.
Where's that party?
Yes we are allowed again! This year we are fully visible at the fun events in and around Haarlem! We have now completed the Haarlemmerhout Festival and the Haven Festival in IJmuiden, which was a great success! Watch it here.
Besides being just a lot of fun, being present at events also contributes to visibility and where we can share our passion in working with children. In this way we also hope to attract lateral entrants to come and work at Op Stoom.
Here you can still find us this summer
22, 23 and 24 July at Park Sessions Haarlem
27 & 28 August at Proefpark Haarlem
Have a nice summer!
