The health care system in Belgium is funded through the state sickness fund. There are four tiers of operation consisting of central government, national associations, federations of local societies, and local mutual aid societies. The Belgian government believes that this power sharing motivates each local fund to work hard to attract and satisfy its members.
Education enjoys high priority, and the largest share of the regional governments’ annual budget in Belgium. Complete systems of public and private schools are available to all children between the ages of 4 and 18, at little or no cost. A 'Creche Kinderdagverblijf plaats” is available for younger children.
Belgium is subjected to a temperate climate from the coastal regions inland to about Brussels.
Towards the ardennes the climate becomes more continental, with colder winters and warm summers. Rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year. Snowfalls are also frequent. The average daily temperatures range between 4 degrees in winter and 22 degrees in the summer.