Childcare

Children are supervised throughout the day at day-care centres (Kinderkrippen). Most offers are for children from three months of age until school age. Some day-care centres do supervise school age children (before and after school and at lunchtime). Waiting lists are long and parents must enroll their children early. Costs vary and some communities help pay for them. The day-care centres or the communities have additional information on enrollment and costs.

Many children attend playgroups (Spielgruppe) before they reach school age. In these playgroups children over the age of approximately 3 meet without their parents to play, do crafts, etc. with a trained supervisor. Particularly for children who do not speak German at home the playgroup is a good opportunity to become exposed to the German language. This facilitates entering school. Costs vary and some communities help pay for playgroups. There are playgroups in almost all communities. The community of residence will provide further information on enrollment and costs.

Some schools offer supervision outside of classes. Children can stay at school during lunchtime if their school has a day school programme (Tagesstruktur). There they will be given a lunch. After school they can do their homework under supervision. These programmes must be paid for by parents. The costs often depend on parents' income. The child can benefit from the programme on one or more days a week. Day school programmes are not to be confused with day schools (Tagesschulen) where children must participate in day school 5 days a week.

Day families (Tagesfamilien) are families that care for children for a certain amount of time (usually the whole day). This childcare service is popular amongst working parents. There are services that help parents find suitable day families and that will provide information on average costs.

In Switzerland young people are often employed as babysitters for evenings or weekends. The Swiss Red Cross (SRK) Aargau keeps a list of babysitting services that work with sitters who have attended a babysitting class. It is common to pay young people for their time. In unpredictable emergency situations the Swiss Red Cross (SRK) Aargau runs an emergency childcare service, for example, when a parent must go to hospital and no other form of childcare is available. The service is not free of charge, but costs are covered by health insurance.