The Swiss government has recommended that voters reject the daycare initiative, citing the costs, but it said it is committed to promoting supplementary family childcare.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA
“The initiative would place a massive burden on the federal government’s financial budget with additional costs in the billions,” the government said in a statement on Friday. And this in an area that is primarily the responsibility of the cantons and municipalities.
The government argued that it made more sense to advocate for a further strengthening of supplementary family childcare within the framework of the parliamentary debate on the future of start-up financing.
The popular initiative “For good and affordable supplementary family childcare for all” was launched at the end of July. It demands that parents must spend a maximum of 10% of their income on daycare places for their children.
However, the initiative not only wants to make day-care centres and after-school care centres accessible and affordable for all families, but also the entire spectrum of supplementary family and school care. The initiative committee is broad-based with representatives from the political left to the centre.
According to the initiative text, the federal government would have to cover two-thirds of the costs. In addition, it would have to issue minimum guidelines on the quality of care, working conditions and other requirements.
“The government shares the view that supplementary family childcare must continue to be promoted and that the public sector should provide greater financial relief for parents,” the statement said. For 20 years, the government has been making financial contributions to the creation of childcare places within the framework of the temporary impulse programme, it said.
It is now of the opinion that the tight financial situation does not allow any further commitment. “It is the task of the cantons to expand supplementary family childcare, and employers should also participate in this expansion in an appropriate form.”
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
The CHF1,000 dance of death and other unforgettable Swiss banknotes
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
Job prospects remain good in Switzerland – apart from in Ticino
This content was published on
Employment prospects remain positive in Switzerland as a whole, but they are negative in southern Italian-speaking canton Ticino.
This content was published on
In an international comparison, Swiss adults perform above average in the basic skills of reading, everyday math and problem solving.
New carrier particle discovered for transporting drugs in body
This content was published on
Researchers at the federal technology institute ETH Zurich have discovered particles that can be used to deliver drugs precisely, for example to a cancerous tumour in the body.
Swiss parliament clears way for new start with e-ID
This content was published on
A new attempt to introduce electronic proof of identity has been made in Switzerland. The Senate has resolved the final differences in the legal provisions on a state e-ID.
Sixteen-day Swiss campaign against gender-based violence ends
This content was published on
The 16-day campaign against gender-based violence came to an end on Tuesday. Several hundred organizations mobilized across Switzerland during this period.
Swiss parliament wants CHF15 million for women’s Euro 2025
This content was published on
Parliament wants Switzerland to support next year's European Women's Football Championship with CHF15 million ($17 million).
Rare Roman coin auctioned for almost CHF2 million in Geneva
This content was published on
A rare Roman coin with a portrait of Brutus, the assassin of Julius Caesar, was sold at a Geneva auction on Monday for CHF1.89 million ($2.15 million), according to the organiser of the sale.
Swiss Senate approves federal budget without opposition
This content was published on
The Swiss army will receive an additional CHF530 million in 2025, and no cuts will be made to direct payments for agriculture. What is unclear is how much will be saved on foreign aid.
Swiss suspend decisions on asylum-seekers from Syria
This content was published on
Asylum procedures and decisions for asylum-seekers from Syria will be suspended with immediate effect until the situation can be reassessed, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) said.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.