This report outlines the social costs and benefits of the harmonisation or integration of facilities related to early childhood education and care (ECEC) in the Netherlands. These facilities consist of child care (kinderopvang), pre-kindergarten facilities (peuterspeelzalen) and structured early childhood education. The report focuses on programmes and facilities for children from infancy to the age of four.

In the Netherlands, formal child care facilities for children in this age range consist of child care centres (kinderdagverblijven) and in-home care by childminders (gastouderopvang). Pre-kindergarten facilities (peuterspeelzalen) are part of the system of early childhood education and care, but are not considered child care facilities. Because of their shorter opening hours, the care they provide is less suited to the schedules of working parents. Formal early childhood education (voorschoolse educatie) is provided mostly in pre-kindergarten facilities, but also in child care centres.

'Harmonisation of facilities' is taken to mean decreasing the existing differences between facilities, for example in the way they are financed or the quality standards that are imposed upon them. 'Integration' means that differences disappear altogether or that education and care become more closely connected.

This report does not answer the question of what changes are needed in order to arrive at the most efficient and effective system of early childhood education and care in the Netherlands. Neither does it provide a full cost-benefit analysis of alternative systems. Rather, it presents four deviations from the existing system that somehow involve harmonisation or integration and, where possible, it gives an indication of their costs and benefits. These four alternatives are then considered in view of existing policy aims.