Parents give child health centres a 7 out of 10

According to recent figures from Statistics Netherlands, parents of nearly 95 percent of under-fives report that they had taken their child to a child health centre in the previous twelve months. For under-twos this percentage was even higher. On average parents give child health centres a mark of just over 7 out of 10.

Nearly all under-twos visit child health centre

According to their parents, around 99 percent of babies and children younger than two had visited a child health centre in the 12 months preceding Statistics Netherlands’ health survey. The rate is lowest for 4-year-olds: 85 percent. One of the factors affecting this is that the last appointment reminder is received at the age of 3 years and 9 months.

Boys and girls visit health centre equally often

Boys were taken to child health centres just as often as girls. The percentages of native Dutch children and those with a foreign background attending the centres were also almost equal. Attendance rates are not affected by whether parents live in rural or urban areas, or by their level of income. <toelichting>>

Child health centre attendance of under-5s, 2011/2013

Relatively more children taken to child health centres

More and more parents are taking their under-5s to child health centres. In 2001/2003 just over 90 percent visited a centre, ten years later this was nearly 95 percent. The largest increase was for 3-year-olds: although the vaccination schedule remained unchanged, the percentage of children in this age group visiting the centres rose from 83 to nearly 94.

Child health centre attendance, by age

Parents satisfied with child health centres

Asked to give a mark out of 10, on average parents gave the child health centres a 7.3. Just over 94 percent gave the centres a 6 or higher. Parents of boys and girls were equally satisfied with the centres, and the age of the child did not correlate with the mark given.
Parents of children with a non-western foreign background gave slightly higher marks than those of native Dutch children and children with a western foreign background. Parents with lower incomes also awarded higher scores than those with higher incomes. Marks were not affected by whether parents lived in rural or urban areas. 

Marks for child health centres, 2011/2013