The Federal Act on Financial Aid for Child-Care outside the Family came into force on 1 February 2003. This incentive programme seeks to increase the number of childcare places available in Switzerland so as to make it easier for parents to strike a better balance between their family and professional/educational commitments.
Many parents still find it very hard to balance work and family life. Following the adoption of its report “Familienpolitik – Auslegeordnung und Handlungsoptionen des Bundes” [Family policy: an overview and scope for future federal action] on 20 May 2015, the Federal Council tasked the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) with drafting a bill that provides for two new five-year financial support instruments; these will benefit from CHF 100 million in federal funding. The amended law and ordinance are set to come into effect on 1 July 2018.
More information is available in German, French, and Italian.
