Find childcare in Lausanne, Switzerland

Have you ever looked for a place for your child in a childcare center? have you ever looked for a nanny ? how did you manage when you went back to work? how to find an affordable childcare? We had to look for a childcare center when baby was on her way. The journey was long and intense!

When did we start looking for a childcare?

We starting looking for a daycare solution even before baby girl #1 was born. I eventually registered when she hit 3 month in utero (so birth date minus 6 months !!!). I sent application form to private daycare centres, to public daycare centres, asked about childminders, looked for website where I could advertise a potential job as a nanny.

Creche, childcare center, childminder, nanny, babysitter,…?

First, childminders. I could have access to those only through the city application form. They told me, as I lived in the city centre, that most of the childminder lives in the surrounding area. We had a look meaning it would take us between 30 minutes to one hour to bring our child. Same for getting our child back home. First joke. Then the price was the same as for a daycare centre (????). But when you live in other areas, this price is two times less at least. I didn’t want to pay such an expensive amount to bring my child to the other side of the town. Second joke.

Third joke : you can’t choose your childminder. The association which is in charge of the placement suggests a childminder. It is up to you to decline it or not. But you are not even allowed to have an interview or to visit the childminder’s home before you leave your child. That was the cherry on the cake : I couldn’t even meet the person who would be looking after our little baby before signing the contract.

Eventually one month before going back to work, we found a spot in a private daycare at the price of 3000 CHF/month full time. Then we went very lucky as the public daycare which is located down our street called us. They would have a spot (but not full time) for us. So we took the spot more than willingly! YEAHHH. That was a week before I would go back to work. The cost is 2400 CHF/ month full time.

Childcare with 2nd baby? how does that work?

Then our baby girl #2. We were told (and we thought) that it would be more straightforward. But no. You know, when you are on maternity leave, you have so much free time you don’t even know what to do with. So they decided it was way too easy to a new baby at home, you should be kept busy calling (again and again) daycare centres and nannies to find a solution for baby #2. I thought baby #2 would be able to go with baby #1. But no… That would have been way too easy. When I called my baby girl#1 ‘s daycare, they first told me they wouldn’t have a spot before baby#2 would be 18 months! #goodjoke

Then after months of efforts from our side (papa called the daycare numerous times as well), we got a spot for baby#2! yeahhh. But now baby#1 has to go to another daycare because they don’t have babies/toddlers over 2.5 year old. So my two daughters are going to be apart. It breaks my heart as they love so much being together. I asked them to be transferred in another daycare where they could be together but I’ve been denied that.

Daycare organisation is quite bad here in Switzerland and it is so so expensive. But please do let me know if you’ve had good experience, or you have any tips that would be useful.

Please leave a comment of hope if you found that it is/was not the case! I’d love to hear about positive experience.