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Child Care Centers in Geneva

The  Bureau d'Information Petite Enfance (BIPE) (Early Childhood Information Office) in the city of Geneva welcomes parents, directs them to the different methods of care and registers enrolment applications for all of the centres supported by the City of Geneva.

In Switzerland, child care is available at crèches, after-school clubs and nursery schools. The pre-school reception of children from 0 to 4 years is generally placed under the responsibility of the communes.

 

 

This offer is completed by the availability of day-care mums or dads and various private centres

 

On the State of Geneva website you will find a wide range of information for:

  • A list of the crèches in the Nyon region is available at www.nyon.ch

"Crèches" - 2 months to 4 years

The main function of the crèches is to welcome children whose parents are working. They practice continuous working hours with midday meals on the premises, form 7 am to 6.30 pm, Monday to Friday.

  • Entry age: from the end of maternity leave until around the age of four, which is the entry age of public school.
  • Registration: on the premises, with the Head of the crèche. In most crèches, it is essential to enroll well in advance (if possible already at the stage of pregnancy). In the absence of a place, the child will be put on a waiting list. Please note that the majority of crèches give priority to families living and/or working in their commune.
  • Rates:

In Geneva, the occupancy rates are calculated according to the incomes of the parents - "Crèche" rate

In the Canton of Vaud, the rates are set according to the rate of child support.

 

Care centres by the United Nations area:

Nursery schools - 3 to 6 years

The first objective of nursery schools is to teach children how to live and play together on a half day time basis (www.ville-geneve.ch)

"Family crèches"

"Family crèches" organise and supervise the care of the child at the home of a  family crèche worker authorised by the Departement of Youth Protection. Every week, the workers and the children spend at least half a day at the crèche. The workers are hired, supervised and paid by the crèche. The City has two family crèches,  La Flottille (Eaux-Vives area) and La Pastourelle (Saint-Jean area). source: www.ville-geneve.ch

 

"Crèches" for punctual care - 0 to 4 years

The role of these crèches is to handle emergency situation:  www.ville-geneve.ch.

Foster families - Day care mums - 2 months to 12 years

Geneva offers an alternative to crèches by providing day-care mums or dads, authorised by the  Service de la Jeunesse (Department of Youth) and known by the name of "familles d'accueil" (host families)

 

Le Chaperon Rouge - Child Daycare at home - 0 to 12 years

Le Chaperon Rouge ( Red Riding Hood) was founded in 1993 by "La Croix-Rouge genevoise" (The Geneva Red Cross), as a Home Daycare Service. This aid is given to parents of children from o to 12 years old in the Canton of Geneva.

More recently, Le Chaperon Rouge has adapted its support for more individual needs.

 

 

  • Urgent Help - from 2 hours up to 3 days

Your child is ill, your usual child care is unavailable, you must leave your home unexpectedly ? A simple call and the "Chaperon Rouge" will provide you with daycare support within 4 hours. Priority is given to parents with an ill child (benign illness).

 

  • Short Term Daycare - from 4 days up to 8 weeks
  • Long Term Daycare - from 9 weeks up to 1 year

Your usual child care is unavailable? You need a long term nanny?


  • Baby-sitting

An evening or a week-end out: Le Chaperon Rouge recommends that you use its baby-sitting network. The guardians are at least 16 years old. They are selected and trained by the Geneva Red Cross. A free list is available but only for the members of our association

Contact:  tel. 022 304 04 82 or email: chaperon.rouge@croix-rouge.ch

 

  • Break or Breather Voucher

Le Chaperon Rouge also offers families needing a few hours of relief some "Breather Vouchers"  (bons de respiration). When help can't be found with relatives or friends, this gives parents some free time while their children are being taken care of by reliable people.

 

  • Information leaflet on rates, financial help, contact...click here

Mary Poppins - Pro juventute - Genève

This new style of child-minding takes place at the parents’ home, and has been designed to meet their needs as closely as possible. The hours currently covered are from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The role of Mary Poppins child-minding is to take over from the parents during their absence. The child-minder looks after the child and their living space and carries out the tasks directly connected with them, such as cleaning and tidying their room, preparing their meals, etc.

More info...www.proju.ch

...and for further information on the website of "la Commission cantonale de la famille," Département de l'action et de la santé.