What Felies does

Felies VZW is a Belgian non-profit organization (vereniging zonder winstoogmerk) headquartered at Urbain Britsierslaan 5, Schaerbeek (Brussels), providing licensed childcare services for children aged 0-12 across all of Flanders. Founded in 2021, the organization operates three service modalities: family-based childcare via onthaalouders (solo providers caring for up to 8 children, or collaborative groups up to 18), daycare centers (kinderdagverblijven), and out-of-school care (buitenschoolse opvang/IBO) with four named locations in Blankenberge, De Haan, Schaarbeek, and Essen. Felies serves its primary segment of families through 15 regional secretariats distributed across all five Flemish provinces, with municipal referral partnerships driving inbound acquisition.

The technology backbone is the Deona Ouderportaal (built by Adeona BVBA), a digital parent portal supporting reservations, day-to-day communication (heen- en weer boekjes), invoicing, and fiscal attestation downloads. Administrative intake is partially digitized via JotForm reservation forms. Felies layers additional support services on top of direct care delivery: the Mentes support network for childcare organizers, a Mentorenwerking (mentoring program) employing 4 mentors (2.5 FTE) to qualify approximately 800 family-based childcare workers, and Pedagogische KB coaching for pedagogical quality improvement.

The business model combines parent fees (income-based 'inkomenstarief' or 'kindcode' pricing, €6.24-€36.64/day for daycare and €6.24-€34.64 for family-based care in 2024) with material revenue from Flemish government subsidies through Agentschap Opgroeien and European Social Fund (ESF) project grants. Fixed allowances and salaries are standardized for family-based childcare workers (€29.28/full day allowance in 2025; €2,405.01/month fixed salary for employees). The organization reinvests any surplus into its mission under the regulated framework of Opgroeien, with Zorginspectie overseeing compliance. Customers are primarily individual families (mass market, low concentration), with secondary stakeholder relationships including Flemish municipalities (referral partners) and the Stad Antwerpen (flagship municipal partner).

Name

Felies

Legal name

Felies VZW

Website

https://felies.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Felies VZW is a Belgian non-profit providing licensed childcare (family-based, daycare, and out-of-school care) for children aged 0-12 across all of Flanders via 15 regional secretariats, supported by the Deona digital parent portal and government subsidies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Childcare Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (624410), Child Care Services (62441), Child Care Services (6244)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Home-Based Infant & Toddler Care (Family Daycare) (EDACAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Preschool-Age Home Daycare (3–5 years) (EDACAEAE), Emergency / Backup Home Childcare (EDACAEAN), Infant & Toddler Occasional Babysitting (HSAAAAAK)

Keywords

• Childcare services
• Daycare centers
• Family-based childcare
• Out-of-school care
• Subsidized childcare

Headquarters

HQ city

Schaarbeek

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Parent Fee Contributions (Inkomenstarief / Kindcode): Parents pay childcare fees based on their income (income-based pricing model, called 'inkomenstarief' or 'kindcode'). Prices range from approximately €6.24 to €36.64 per full day for family-based care (2024 rates). Daycare (KDV) pricing follows similar income-based tiers between €6.24 and €34.64 (2024). This is the primary revenue stream from parents.
2. Government Subsidies and Support (ESF / Opgroeien): Felies receives funding from the Flemish government (Agentschap Opgroeien) and ESF (Europees Sociaal Fonds) projects to support training, mentoring, and quality improvement initiatives. Subsidies also support the Mentes support network and pedagogical coaching activities.
3. School-Age Childcare (IBO) Fees: For outside-school-hours care (IBO), parents pay a fixed price per location, as disclosed in each location's household regulations. Revenue is collected monthly via invoice or Deona ouderportaal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Felies VZW provides licensed childcare services for children aged 0-12 across Flanders, Belgium. It operates three core care modalities: family-based childcare at registered onthaalouders (max 8 children solo, 18 collaborative), group daycare at kinderdagverblijven, and out-of-school care (buitenschoolse opvang / IBO). Services are priced on an income-based (inkomenstarief/kindcode) model with support from Flemish government subsidies, and are accessed through 15 regional secretariats or the Deona digital parent portal.

Product overview

Felies VZW is a childcare organization (kinderopvang) providing services for children aged 0-12 years across Flanders, Belgium. The organization operates a portfolio of services including family childcare at childminders' homes (opvang bij een onthaalouder), group daycare centers (kinderdagverblijf), and out-of-school care (buitenschoolse opvang). Felies manages multiple named daycare centers (Huisje Kiekeboe, 't Letterbergske, Felies Borgerhout, Okido Kiekeboe, Felies Deurne) and four out-of-school care locations (IBO 't Loavertje, IBO Mallemolen, IBO Helmet, IBO Dolfijn). Supporting services include the Deona digital parent portal for reservations and invoicing, Mentes support network for childcare providers, a mentor program for worker qualification, and pedagogical coaching. The organization maintains 15 secretariats across Belgian provinces and operates from its head office in Schaarbeek.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Deona: Digital parent portal used by Felies for communication, invoicing, and attendance tracking
• Kinderdagverblijf Huisje Kiekeboe
• 't Letterbergske
• Felies Borgerhout
• Okido Kiekeboe
• Felies Deurne
• IBO 't Loavertje
• IBO Mallemolen
• IBO Helmet
• IBO Dolfijn

Products and services

• Opvang bij een onthaalouder (Family Childcare) Small-scale, family-style childcare provided in a registered onthaalouder's (childminder's) home, offered as solo care (max 8 children) or collaborative care (max 18 children). Pricing is income-based (inkomenstarief). Targets parents seeking warm, home-based care for children aged 0-12 across Flanders.
• Opvang in een kinderdagverblijf (Daycare Center)

Quantifiable outcome

• Income-based pricing between €6.24 and €36.64/day (2024), making childcare accessible to low- and middle-income families.
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Mentes (Ondersteuningsnetwerk Kinderopvang)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020Felies is a partner within Mentes, the Flemish Childcare Support Network, which provides demand-driven support to childcare organizations across various themes. With funding from Agentschap Opgroeien, Mentes offers free support to priority target groups including non-subsidized family-based organizers and small group childcare operators. Felies provides Mentes support in West Flanders (Menen-Wevelgem-Kortrijk-Zwevegem) and Limburg regions through regional supporters Laura Baekelandt and Hilde Deckers.
• Agentschap Opgroeien (Flemish Government)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020Agentschap Opgroeien is the Flemish government agency overseeing childcare in Flanders. It provides regulatory oversight, subsidies, and supports the Mentes network. Felies operates under Opgroeien's regulatory framework, receives subsidies, and participates in government-funded programs (ESF, Kansen voor Talent).
• Stad Antwerpen (City of Antwerp)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020Stad Antwerpen partnered with Felies on the ESF project 'Kansen voor Talent in de Kinderopvang' (2020-2023) and continued financing mentor positions in 2024-2025 to support talented students in obtaining childcare qualifications. This partnership is a flagship initiative representing deep municipal commitment to childcare workforce development.
• ESF (Europees Sociaal Fonds) / European Social FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020ESF funded three Felies-partnered projects from December 2020 to December 2023: (1) Kansen voor talent in Antwerpen, (2) Onontgonnen talent kleurt de kinderopvang in Vilvoorde/Mechelen, and (3) Biko West in West-Vlaanderen. Each project supported vulnerable job seekers in qualifying as childcare workers. A practical model was published via Expertisecentrum CEGO.
• Expertisecentrum CEGOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpertisecentrum CEGO published the practical model (praktijkmodel) resulting from the ESF 'Nieuwe Krachten voor de Kinderopvang' project in which Felies participated. This is an academic/publishing partnership for knowledge dissemination.
• Flemish Municipalities (General)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFelies collaborates with municipalities across Flanders through its Samenwerken program. Staff members (stafmedewerkers) guide municipalities through childcare possibilities and procedures, helping them develop appropriate childcare offerings (family-based, group-based, school-age care) to meet local demand.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Partou: Major Dutch childcare organization operating daycare and out-of-school care locations. Comparable to Felies in providing regulated, multi-site family-facing childcare in a Dutch-speaking regulatory environment similar to Flanders, with analogous age-based pricing and parent portal offerings.
• KidsFoundation: Dutch childcare operator running daycare centers (kinderdagverblijven) and out-of-school care (BSO) across the Netherlands. Directly comparable to Felies' daycare center and IBO modalities, serving a neighboring Dutch-speaking market with similar regulatory frameworks and income-based or government-subsidized pricing.
• BLOS Kinderopvang: Dutch childcare organization combining daycare, out-of-school care, and toddler groups across multiple locations. Comparable to Felies' three-modality approach (family childcare, daycare centers, school-age IBO) and similar subsidized/regulated Dutch-market positioning.
• Kindergarden: Dutch premium childcare chain operating daycare and BSO locations with pedagogical frameworks (e.g., Early Years Foundation Stage equivalents). Directly comparable to Felies' named daycare centers (Huisje Kiekeboe, Felies Borgerhout, etc.) in operating model, age range served, and parent-engagement focus.
• CompaNanny: Premium Dutch childcare operator offering daycare (kinderdagverblijf) and after-school care, with strong emphasis on quality, pedagogical frameworks, and parent communication. Comparable to Felies' quality-focused daycare operations across multiple locations, with a similar parent-engagement model.
• Stichting Kinderopvang: Dutch non-profit foundation providing childcare services across multiple locations, with subsidy-supported pricing and parent-facing digital tools. Directly comparable to Felies' VZW non-profit structure, regulated income-based pricing, and multi-site operating model in a similar Dutch-speaking regulatory context.
• Busy Bees Nurseries: One of the UK's largest nursery and childcare operators, providing multi-site regulated childcare with government-supported funding streams. Directly comparable to Felies' multi-modal center-based model and reliance on regulated/subsidized fee structures, though at much larger scale and in a different national context.

Broad incumbents

• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Large publicly-traded operator of childcare centers and early education programs across the US, UK, and Ireland. Comparable to Felies in providing regulated, multi-site early childhood care for working families, though operating under different subsidy frameworks and with a commercial rather than non-profit structure.

Others

• Partena Professional: Belgian professional services and benefits provider offering childcare-related services and benefits to member employers and families. Comparable to Felies in serving Belgian working families seeking subsidized childcare, though operating in an adjacent/benefits-administration role rather than direct childcare delivery.

Regional players

• OCMW/CAW (Public Centers for Social Welfare): Belgian/Flemish publicly-funded welfare organizations that operate subsidized childcare services (including daycare and family childcare) across municipalities. Comparable to Felies as parallel subsidized childcare providers operating within the same Flemish regulatory framework (Agentschap Opgroeien), though embedded within broader public welfare mandates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/feliesnationaal
• Instagraminstagram.com/felies_kinderopvang
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/felies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Felies