Family policy Council of States approves a childcare allowance for daycare children

The Council of States wants to relieve parents of the costs of daycare places with a childcare allowance. It approved a corresponding bill on Wednesday. The small chamber wants to leave the financing to the cantons. The Council of States no longer wants federal contributions.

In the overall vote, the small chamber approved the corresponding amendments to the law by 27 votes to 14 with no abstentions. Its responsible committee had included the childcare allowance in a new bill from the National Council. The latter had previously relied on federal contributions. It must now deal with the matter again.

The childcare allowance is paid for children up to the age of eight. It amounts to at least CHF 100 per month if the children are cared for in an institution one day a week. The allowance is increased by CHF 50 for each additional half day of care. The cantons decide how the allowances are financed. This is also the case for family allowances.

A minority led by Andrea Gmür-Schönenberger (center/LU) demanded in vain that the federal government contribute up to CHF 200 million to the financing of the allowance if the cantons do the same. The cantons can make employers, employees and the self-employed liable for the childcare allowance.

The aim of the bill is to encourage more parents to take up gainful employment. The federal government has so far supported the creation of childcare places with CHF 451 million. The discussions that now lie ahead are about transforming this initial funding into a definitive solution. The program, which came into force in 2003, has been extended several times and runs until the end of 2026.

SDA