GASTOU gastouderbureau

What GASTOU gastouderbureau does

GASTOU gastouderbureau is a privately held Dutch childminder intermediary (gastouderbureau) operating from its home base in Barneveld with a postal address in Voorthuizen. The company was founded in 1994 as Harlekijn, merged with GASTOU in 2014 under DOL FIJN, and became independently operating under the GASTOU name in May 2022. It is led by Wolter Smit (betrokken bestuurder since October 2022) and managed operationally by Jeanet Thiewes, supported by a team of approximately four bemiddelingsmedewerkers (mediators) plus service bureau staff, totaling 5 employees.

The company's core offering is Gastouderopvang, a home-based childcare matching service that connects parents seeking flexible, small-group childcare with self-employed gastouders (registered childminders). The network comprises approximately 130 childminders caring for around 400 children, with a maximum of six children (two babies) per location. Gastouders are recruited, qualified (MBO-2 minimum, GGD-registered), and supported through administrative, pedagogical, and training services; parents receive personal guidance from a dedicated bemiddelingsmedewerker. The company operates across Midden and Noord Nederland, covering 16+ municipalities, and expanded its geographic footprint through the August 2024 acquisition of Prokino Gastouderbureau.

GASTOU generates revenue through a transaction-fee model: parents pay GASTOU for contracted childcare hours, the bureau collects and administers those payments, pays gastouders around the 15th of each month, and retains a commission/operational fee. Specific fee structures are not publicly disclosed. Distribution is sales-led and community-led, relying on direct personal matching by bemiddelingsmedewerkers, online registration, word-of-mouth referrals (with a €100 bonus for introducing new gastouders), and a basic digital presence on Facebook and Instagram. The underlying technology is a third-party Portabase customer portal; the core moat is human-mediated regional matching, not proprietary technology.

Name

GASTOU gastouderbureau

Legal name

GASTOU

Website

https://gastou.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GASTOU is a Dutch gastouderbureau that matches parents with a network of ~130 self-employed, registered childminders (gastouders) across Central and Northern Netherlands, providing home-based childcare for ~400 children with personal regional matching and administrative support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Voorthuizen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Parent registration and placement fees: GASTOU acts as a intermediary between parents seeking childcare and self-employed gastouders. The company handles billing, invoicing, and payment collection on behalf of gastouders. Parents pay for childcare hours to GASTOU, which then pays out gastouders around the 15th of each month. GASTOU takes a commission or operational fee as part of this arrangement. Specific fee structures are not publicly disclosed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GASTOU is a Dutch gastouderbureau (childminder agency) that matches parents seeking childcare with registered, self-employed gastouders (childminders) operating in home settings. The bureau handles personal matching, billing and invoicing between parents and gastouders, pedagogical coaching, EHBO training, and administrative support, operating across Midden and Noord Nederland with approximately 130 registered gastouders.

Product overview

GASTOU is a gastouderbureau (childcare bureau) that operates as a unified service connecting parents with childcare providers (gastouders). The core offering is Gastouderopvang, a home-based childcare service where registered host families provide personalized care in a domestic setting. The service includes matching parents with suitable gastouders, personal guidance by experienced staff, administrative support, and regular training for childcare providers. With approximately 130 registered gastouders across Central and Northern Netherlands, GASTOU facilitates childcare in various municipalities with flexible arrangements including care at the host family's home or at the parents' home.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gastouderopvang (Home-based Childcare Matching) Personal mediation and ongoing support service that matches parents with registered self-employed gastouders who provide childcare in a domestic setting, typically with small groups of up to 6 children (max 2 babies). Includes personal intake visits, billing/invoicing handling, pedagogical coaching, and administrative support for both parents and gastouders across Midden and Noord Nederland.

Quantifiable outcome

• No waiting list — children can start immediately upon matching
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Prokino GastouderbureaucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 August 2024GASTOU acquired Prokino Gastouderbureau in August 2024, strengthening its position in the gastouderopvang sector. This acquisition expanded GASTOU's presence into the region of Ermelo, Harderwijk, Nunspeet, Elburg, Lelystad, Genemuiden, Kampen, Ommen, and Hardenberg. The combined entity supports more families with personal and professional childcare.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Partou: One of the largest national childcare operators in the Netherlands. While primarily focused on center-based daycare and BSO, Partou's scale, brand, and parent-facing digital tools set a competitive benchmark for regional gastouderbureaus like GASTOU.
• Kanteel Kinderopvang: Established regional childcare provider in North Brabant offering daycare, BSO and gastouder mediation. Comparable in providing a full-service childcare portfolio including gastouder matching within a defined region.

Direct peers

• Kids Aktief: Dutch childcare provider combining center-based care with gastouderbureau services in regional territories. Competes for the same parent and gastouder audiences with a similar mediation-driven model.
• NINI Kinderopvang: Dutch regional childcare provider offering daycare, BSO and gastouder services including mediation between parents and host families. Comparable in offering the same dual-sided marketplace model in defined regional territories.
• DOL FIJN Kinderopvang: Former parent entity of GASTOU (until May 2022 spin-off). DOL FIJN operates daycare, BSO, and gastouderbureau services across multiple Dutch regions, making it the most direct comparable for GASTOU's matching and mediation model.
• Pinkeltje Kinderopvang: Regional Dutch childcare organization offering daycare and gastouder mediation services. Closely comparable in scale and service scope to GASTOU, serving as a benchmark for small-to-mid regional gastouderbureaus.
• Smallsteps: Large national Dutch childcare organization offering daycare, BSO and gastouder services through multiple regional bureaus. Operates a similar gastouder matching model with broader geographic reach, competing for both parents and gastouders.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/gastou.nl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gastou-gastouderbureau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 GASTOU gastouderbureau