Inclusion of Children with Special Needs in Dutch Daycare

Abstract

Inclusive education is a current topic worldwide. Various studies show positive results for children with and without special needs, both in primary school and in daycare. This study investigates inclusion in Dutch daycare centres, following the recent changes in the primary educational system. Pedagogical staff members and managers of daycare centres of the district of Utrecht were participating in this mixed methods study. Results show that (a) the conditions which contribute to the ability of daycare centres to offer inclusive daycare are not all available at Dutch daycare centres, (b) the type and the severity of special need influences the ability of pedagogical staff to take care of children with special needs, and (c) level of education has a significant effect on the ability of caring for children with special needs.