Cokido is an organization based in Leuven that helps parents not only get involved in their community, but also provides them with child care and a community for their children. Through the Cokido application you can register and sign up to be “godparents” in a Cokido community group. This article provides a general overview of what Cokido is all about and how to get registered. Most of the information online about Cokido is in Dutch, so we want to provide you with a condensed overview in English.

The holidays can be stressful when you are working and have to find childcare for your children. Cokido’s goal is to help out during these potentially stressful periods and assist in solving what they call the “holiday puzzle” (De vakantiepuzzel in Dutch). They want to facilitate connections between families where parents take turns with child-care. This could be useful for families who want to make more connections in their neighborhood, who have limited care providers, who need occasional childcare, or who are looking for cheap childcare options.

· How does it work?

In exchange for offering 1 day of childcare, a parent (grandparent…) is entitled to four childcare turns for their own children.

· Who is it for?

Cokido is available to every Leuven resident with school-aged children (2.5 – 12 years old).

· When?

The schedule of which holiday weeks are included are determined by each group individually.

· Where?

Each Cokido group chooses its own location. The location will be an accessible and child-friendly environment, such as a community center, school, or other community building. Sometimes a group will organize the childcare at home, seeing that all safety measures can be met.

· Price?

The membership fee is 30 euros per family (no matter the number of children). By purchasing a Cokido membership you are immediately insured (civil liability, physical accidents, and legal assistance for all participants). In addition, each childcare session is free, unless there are costs for using a specific location or doing an activity. The costs accrued are divided equally over the number of children present.

· How are the groups supported by Cokido?

The Cokido app makes it easy to register and keep an organized calendar for all of the childcare sessions. Each group receives a start-up guide, documents and tools to record the internal agreements, and the agreement with the location. The Cokido staff is there to help connections grow, meaning you can always go to them for any questions, comments, or concerns. The participants can also take out a membership with insurance at Cokido.

· Other perks?

Through Cokido you can get numerous discounts and offers form their partners. In addition, they host events (workshops, lectures, family events, …) throughout the year to bring parents together and connect the community.

If you are interested in becoming a part of a Cokido group this summer you can contact the childcare desk via info@kinderopvangleuven.be or call at 016 27 26 43. You can equally check out their website at www.cokido.org, however the site is only in Dutch.