Forms of childcare

Definitions

The terms for childcare facilities are not used uniformly in Switzerland.

In Greater Zurich crèches are all-day childcare facilities for pre-school children, day care centres are all-day childcare facilities for schoolchildren, lunchtime clubs are also aimed at schoolchildren and out-of-school clubs are a form of day care centre.
There is a general overview of the different childcare options available from the Volksschulamt:
>> Forms of childcare (PDF german)

You are looking for daily childcare ...

... for children aged 0-6

Possible options for you:

• a crèche
• a childminder
• a kindergarten
• a nanny
• an au pair
• a babysitter
• a playgroup

... for children of school age

Possible options for you:

• a day care centre
• a childminder
• a day school
• a nanny
• an au pair

Criteria for choosing a childcare place

The choice of childcare place is completely personal.

There is no seal of quality yet in Switzerland for childcare centres. Therefore, when you take a look around the childcare centre, be vigilant and take care to watch how the staff deal with the children. You may find the kihz checklist for assessing a childcare centre useful:
>> kihz checklist for parents

 

Further links:

• www.horte-online.ch
• www.kidscorner.ch