Costs / Subsidies
ETH Zurich provides financial assistance for places in childcare provided by the external pagekihz Foundation or by daycare facilities in the university area. We advise parents to enrol their children in other daycare centres too, for example close to their residence.
Extrafamilial childcare is expensive in Switzerland compared to other countries. In Switzerland a non-subsidised nursery place for an infant costs around 130 CHF per day, whereas the daily rate for a baby’s nursery place can be up to 180 CHF. Depending on the family’s income subsidised places can be claimed. There is a growing number of alternative childcare options, such as childminders or nannies.
If parents are entitled to subsidised childcare, they must submit an external pageapplication (German) to the City of Zurich’s Department of School and Sport, which then calculates the definitive external pagecontribution factor (German) based on the tax data available (the latest definitive tax invoice) or a tax simulation. The contribution factor is valid for one year. The parents receive a letter informing them of the contribution factor, which they then forward to their childcare facility's administration team. The facility draws up the childcare agreement and issues an invoice to the parents for the childcare service they have purchased, with the subsidiaries already taken into account.
City of Zurich's information on subsidies
external page Social Department of the City of Zurich: Apply for subsidies (German)Basel's information on subsidies
Information:
An increase in childcare contributions in Basel-Stadt is planned from August 2024. Parents should then pay the maximum amount of CHF 1600 per month.
In addition to the child's place of residence in the canton of Basel-Stadt, the prerequisite for entitlement to childcare contributions is attendance at a daycare center with childcare contributions also in the canton of Basel-Stadt.
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