The Childcare Hunt

Looking for quality childcare can be daunting. Frustrating. Add to this the fact that most of the information available through local websites was in far-from-easy levels of the local languages (German, French, Italian).

Until somewhat recently, some working mums in Switzerland faced a serious stigma at their jobs, likely due to preoccupation – not with their kids, but rather with childcare issues while at work. Childcare in the past was exceedingly expensive and difficult to find, and it had strict rules regarding pick-up times; more often than not, there were long, complicated waitlists! That contributed to tense moments at work…obviously.

Financial output equaled quality care. And that was far from being fair. [Editor’s note: The city of Zurich makes subsidized places available in many facilities, and so do other local governments.] Thus began the hunt for a system that would bring the best care at the most reasonable fee. So as I created my own experiences – with fun, frets and fumes – I also listed out the options I discovered.

Sit back, take a deep breath, and read on – childcare in this Alpine country is not an impossible task! If you’ve run through lists of daycare centers, bilingual daycare facilities, and other expensive solutions, check out the following options.

Associations, or Vereine: Head to your Gemeinde (township or municipal office) and ask for the contact details for a Tagesmutter Verein (Daycare Mothers’ Association). This association will connect you with and accompany you to meet the most suitable daycare ladies in the proximity of your home. Typically, a Tagesmutter is a woman who herself has children at home or older children. All you need to do is drop your child at her place with the basic necessities (diapers, a set of clothes, medicines if needed), and pick him or her up after work.

The Tagesmutter is supposed to provide your child with basic care, enough mental stimulation without plonking him or her in front of the television, rest at noon, a midmorning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, and even dinner, if necessary. Time duration is flexible but needs to be set in advance. I found this option fantastic and reasonable. The best part was that I could opt for one visiting session, followed by one or two trial days before making a decision. And I could go for spot-checks as often as I wanted.

Au pairs: Rules in Switzerland are quite strict, so an au pair could be a slightly cumbersome solution, since you will have to work around work permit issues and take on health insurance and AHV responsibilities. But for the long term, it might be reasonable. First, check out whether or not you are eligible to bring an au pair into the country. Visit www.aupairworld.com or speak to the local authorities.

Please do ensure that you do not hire anyone who hesitates to provide references. However reasonable the deal, cross check references, get criminal record clearances, and do a background check. At the risk of sounding paranoid, I’d say a massive degree of caution is needed. I almost hired someone, but I wasn’t quite comfortable, as something seemed not quite right. Fortunately, I went with my gut and decided to not hire her. A few days later, I happened to show her picture to a colleague while discussing childcare options. He smiled and revealed to me that – back in his heyday – this “au-pair candidate” had been a porn model in his country. That was the end of my au pair chapter!

Praktikantin: These are young women being trained for childcare and related fields (such as kindergarten teachers, a caretaker of children at a hospital or an institute, etc.). They are on the lookout for practical experience, as an internship is part of their training. Rest assured that the quality will be great, but the apprentice won’t be able to work full time, because she will also have to attend school and report back to her theoretical sessions. However, you could look at this option for the short-term or ad-hoc until the right childcare system is found and established. An ideal website for investigating this option is www.lilliput.com

Babysitters: Here again, check with your local municipal authority. They will direct you to the babysitters training authority or give you a list of numbers, along with the name and age of the babysitters. These sitters charge a rate starting at SFr. 8 per hour or a flat rate of approximately SFr. 36-40 for an evening or a block of time. However, they are usually young – 13- to 17-year-olds – but are trained by the Red Cross. This option is for your date nights, evening dinners and social events since, typically, these are schoolchildren, trained, and ready to earn their pocket money by way of babysitting.

University students: These are students looking for odd jobs to make ends meet. Needless to say, they won’t be available on all days, throughout the day; but it’s a good option if you work part-time or from a home office.

Granny-nanny: Officially speaking, there is no such term as granny-nanny. But this worked well for me. You can place an ad in your local paper or at the local stores for an elderly person to come to your home and look after your child, play, read out stories and ensure good food is cooked while you’re out at work. This person should be able to keep the home tidy and organized while looking after your children (including sending them to school, etc.).

Childcare share: This is a common concept within small neighborhoods among part-time working mums, who hook up with other mums in the neighborhood. When one mother goes for her part-time job, you volunteer to take care of her children; and on your days of work, you have a similar arrangement with her. Simple. It’s a symbiotic relationship of sorts.

So go ahead, check out your options. Trial and error is, to some extent, the way of the world!

By Aradhna Sethi

Aradhna Sethi is the author of “The Entrepreneur’s Wife – A Survival Guide”.  She has held roles of responsibility as the  chief editor and consulting editor for English language publications. Aradhna blogs and writes for various online and print platforms while balancing the demands of growing up kids and her entrepreneurial husband. Follow her on aradhnasethi.wordpress.com, and on Twitter.

Illustration by Kiki Kaisserian

Kiki Kaisserian is an Australian artist and maker who works in many mediums. She has two adult children and lives in a small country town. Her work can be seen here.