children

Do you arrive in Switzerland with your family? Find here some basic information about child benefit, child care and schooling. However, as the child benefit regulations and the education system are cantonal, you might ask your employer to get more detailed information. Be also aware that organizing child care can become very difficult...

Do I get child benefit?

Child benefit is regulated on a cantonal basis in Switzerland. If and what you get is determined by the cantons. The canton you work in is decisive. The benefit currently lies between 150 and 444 CHF per child and per month.

Entitlement to child benefit exists if at least one parent is in gainful employment or drawing daily benefits from the unemployment insurance fund. The benefits are paid by the employer (or the unemployment insurance fund in the case of unemployed individuals). If you work on a part-time basis, you may only receive partial benefit or possibly no benefit at all, depending on the canton.

As rules and the amount of child benefit changes from canton to canton, ask your employer about the exact amount you will get.

How to organize child care?

• Crèches: The demand for childcare facilities in Switzerland often exceeds availability. Many of the Day Care Centers have waiting long lists. Moreover, childcare in Switzerland, particularly in comparison to other countries like e.g. the U.S.A. is very expensive. Full-time care of a pre-school child may cost up to 2000 CHF per month. At kinderkrippen-online you can find general information about crèches.
• Day Care Families: Many Swiss families have their children looked after by a childminder (Tagesmutter) who cares for children in her own home. tagesfamilien.ch helps to find childminders.
• Au Pairs: Since one of the goals of the Au Pair program is that he/she learns the language of the country in which he/she is placed, only families speaking a german, french or italian get permission to hire an official Au Pair. For further information look at Pro Filia .

Schooling

• The education system is cantonal in Switzerland, it means the system changes from canton to canton.
• The compulsory education lasts 9 years (primary school and secondary school) and is free of charge. Children enter primary school at the age of 6 or 7.
• Kindergartens are not compulsory, but free of charge. Children normally attend 1 or 2 years of kindergarten before attending primary school.
• Overviews about the Swiss education system can be found at the Swiss Education Server Educa, at the homepage of the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Education Ministers and at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.

Useful links

• Woman's Activity Club: WAC is a nonprofit english-speaking club whose purpose is to meet the social, educational, and personal needs of its members aiming at encouraging international friendship, support, and sharing of ideas.The Club's main activities are playgroups, child development groups, a library, and room rentals.
• A useful web page made by Germans for Germans living in Switzerland (only in German): hallo-schweiz.

Sources: binational.ch, Dual Career Advice ETH.