About the childcare centre

Unikids is one of our newest childcare centres and overlooks the beautiful, wooded surroundings of the Karmel in Waregem. The centre is managed on a day-to-day basis by team coach Lana Leyman.

How we work

Unikids is a smaller childcare centre with a team of five childcare practitioners. It has places for 14 children aged 0 to 3 years. At present, there is still room for 18 children, but from October 2025 onwards, the number of children will be reduced to 14 as part of a lower child-to-staff ratio.

At Unikids, each child’s development and well-being are at the heart of everything we do. Around 9 a.m., we start the day with a cosy circle time, where Jules and Madelief cheerfully welcome everyone. It is a warm moment to come together, sing and start the day. Afterwards, we choose the child of the day – a special honour! This child gets to help collect the bread and decide which toys we will play with that day.

We follow each child’s individual rhythm: some children may still need a little nap, while others enthusiastically join in with the morning activity. And whenever the weather allows, we all head outside, because playing in the fresh air is one of the best things there is!

We have a wonderful partnership with our neighbours at VZW Curando and organise a fun activity every month with the residents of De Karmel day centre. Whether we make soup together, colour a beautiful picture or enjoy traditional games, these are heartwarming moments in which young and old come together. It is a special experience that both the children and the residents look forward to and enjoy every time!

What matters to us

As soon as the first rays of sunshine appear, we take the children outside! On our spacious terrace or in the garden, they can enjoy the fresh air, play freely and discover the world around them.

We believe it is important to encourage every child’s creativity, whether through arts and crafts, imaginative play or discovering new things in nature. We also pay close attention to each child’s personal development, allowing them to grow at their own pace and feel safe, secure and cared for in our childcare centre.

Regarding priority rules

As a primary measure, we apply the statutory priority rules established by Kind en Gezin (the Flemish agency for child and family services). As these rules are subject to regular changes, we kindly refer you to our website for the most up-to-date information: https://kindercentrum.be/nl/werkingsprincipes/

In addition to these primary priority rules, we apply an additional internal priority rule requiring one or both parents to be employed by Curando vzw.

Employees of Woonzorgcentrum De Karmel can apply for a childcare place for their child from the first day of pregnancy. Applications are prioritised according to the chronological order in which they are submitted. If a brother or sister is already attending Unikids, these applications are given additional priority.

Kindercentrum reserves the right to verify your employment status directly with the care manager.

If no priority criteria apply, or if applications meet an equivalent combination of criteria, the chronological order of registration is respected.

Regarding the childcare schedule

To ensure that we can fully fulfil our pedagogical role and build a strong bond with your child, your child must attend childcare for an average of at least four full days per week. Half-day attendance is not possible.

Kindercentrum cannot guarantee the minimum number of childcare days at the start of the placement, which means your child may initially attend fewer days. As soon as occupancy allows, the childcare provider will inform you, and the number of childcare days must be increased to at least four days per week.