Swiss childcare: majority receive external care, grandparents remain pillars
Almost two-thirds (62%) of children under the age of 13 in Switzerland benefit from out-of-home childcare. Parents rely mainly on nurseries and after-school care (36%) and grandparents (28%).
In 2022, parents most often turned to nurseries (37%) and grandparents (35%) to look after their children under the age of 4, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) reported on Monday.
Children aged between 4 and 12 went mainly to crèches and after-school care facilities, such as all-day schools or day nurseries (36%). A quarter of children in this age group were looked after by their grandparents (24%).
More pay means more care
The proportion of children in out-of-home care increases with household income: in 2022, it was twice as high (80%) in the highest income bracket as in the lowest (41%).
In addition, 60% of children from the wealthiest households attended a nursery or after-school care facility. In the lowest-income households, the proportion was significantly less at 24% (1st quintile) and 29% (2nd quintile).
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