Crèche inspection reports to be published online

In addition to the inspector's findings, an inspection report also explains what has been checked and why. Privacy-sensitive information has been filtered out and the reports have also been made less technical, so that they can be understood by a wider audience. Once an inspection has been completed, the inspection reports will be published automatically online, and parents can read whether the childcare facility is compliant with the regulations at the time of the inspection.

Previously parents and guardians had to email the Health Care Inspectorate in order to request a copy of a report and it sometimes took weeks before they received an answer. Recent cases of malpractice and abuse that have come to light have resulted in increased demand for the reports. Furthermore, the Flemish Parliament's Committee of Inquiry into Childcare demanded a more active and transparent approach to inspection reports. Earlier this year, the committee carried out an investigation into what is going wrong in Flemish childcare.

The inspection reports can be found on the Flemish Care Inspectorate’s website www.zorginspectie.be Once on the website you should click on “Inspectieverslagen” that you can find by clicking on the tab “snel naar”.  You should then click on the link "Zoek inspectieverslagen op via de cobrha viewer”. You will be directed to a new website where you can fill in the “HCO” registration number of the crèche you are looking for. 

As mentioned above not all the reports are yet available to be downloaded.