▁receive ▁benefits ▁for ▁them . ▁Additionally , ▁a ▁family ▁is ▁only ▁allowed ▁benefits ▁for ▁ 1 6 ▁and ▁ 1 7 - year - olds ▁if ▁they ▁are ▁act ively ▁particip ating ▁in ▁an ▁education ▁program ▁to ▁receive ▁a ▁VM BO , ▁H AV O , ▁or ▁V W O . ▁ ▁These ▁rules ▁change ▁slightly ▁given ▁different ▁situations ▁such ▁as ▁dis ability , ▁single - parent ▁families , ▁and ▁other ▁special ▁circumstances . ▁ ▁Child care ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁passed ▁the ▁Nur ser y ▁Education ▁Act ▁that ▁fund ed ▁pr esch ool ; ▁however , ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁pr esch ool ▁was ▁added ▁to ▁the ▁standard ▁education ▁system . ▁Four - year - olds ▁were ▁allowed ▁to ▁be ▁en rolled ▁in ▁school ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁mand atory ; ▁school ▁became ▁mand atory ▁once ▁the ▁child ▁reached ▁five ▁years ▁old . ▁If ▁a ▁child ▁has ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁a ▁language ▁dis adv antage , ▁mainly ▁for ▁imm igr ant ▁children , ▁they ▁can ▁be ▁en rolled ▁as ▁young ▁as ▁two ▁years ▁old ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁catch ▁them ▁up ▁before ▁primary ▁school ▁started . ▁ ▁Day care ▁and ▁after - school ▁care ▁have ▁policies ▁d ating ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁in ▁the ▁Netherlands . ▁The ▁recent ▁increase ▁in ▁women ▁in ▁the ▁work force ▁has ▁called ▁for ▁an ▁increase ▁in ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁day care ▁and ▁after - school ▁care ▁needed . ▁Today , ▁the ▁system ▁is ▁mixed