WILLEMSTAD - Not a single officially registered childcare center on Curaçao currently holds a valid permit or exemption, despite such authorization being legally required since 2008. This alarming finding comes from a damning report issued by the Ombudsman, which highlights years of governmental neglect in overseeing childcare on the island.
According to the report, the government has systematically failed to fulfill its legal obligation to protect vulnerable young children. The investigation was launched ex officio by the Ombudsman to assess how the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports (OWCS) has been implementing the National Ordinance on Childcare (Landsverordening kinderopvang Curaçao).
Oversight System Failing Completely
Supervision of childcare facilities—carried out by only three inspectors—was found to be structurally inadequate. Although 107 childcare centers are officially registered, none of them meet the formal legal requirements.
The Ombudsman also found no reliable data on the quality, hygiene, or safety of these facilities. Moreover, supervisory bodies, including the Fire Department and the Public Health Inspectorate, rarely perform their duties. Despite this, government subsidies continue to be paid to daycare centers regardless of whether they are legally recognized.
The report states that the Minister of OWCS has been aware of these shortcomings for years, yet no effective measures have been taken. As a result, the ministry has “to some extent contributed to the continuation of the current situation,” the Ombudsman concluded. This ongoing failure seriously undermines the protection of children, as guaranteed by both international conventions and Curaçao’s Constitution.
Six Urgent Recommendations
The Ombudsman issued six urgent recommendations, including immediate enforcement of existing laws, improved communication with childcare centers, stronger inter-ministerial cooperation, and a comprehensive review of outdated legislation. The Minister of OWCS has been given four months to take concrete action.
The report exposes a fundamental and long-standing problem: for seventeen years, Curaçao’s childcare sector has been operating without effective regulation or oversight, leaving one of society’s most vulnerable groups—young children—at risk. The call for swift government intervention has therefore become more urgent than ever.
