The National Council is today debating the future funding of external childcare in Switzerland. The measures envisaged in the parliamentary initiative under discussion include more comprehensive financial support for external childcare from the federal government. UNICEF Switzerland and Liechtenstein supports this initiative and calls on the federal government to increase its commitment to external childcare in the interests of promoting equal opportunities.
Switzerland performs very poorly by international standards in terms of access to and quality and affordability of external care for pre-school children, according to a 2021 UNICEF study that compared 41 EU and OECD countries. While Iceland, Sweden and Norway occupy the top spots, Switzerland is at the bottom of the standings. The reasons for this poor ranking are the comparatively short duration of maternity and paternity leave, and the way in which childcare is funded.
Parliamentary initiative 21.403 of the National Council’s Science, Education and Culture Committee aims to address this situation, and proposes measures including more comprehensive financial support for external childcare from the federal government. Affordable external childcare offers children from all sections of society the same good start in life. It is particularly beneficial for low-income families, as it significantly enhances equal opportunities for their children and means that they too are able to reach their full potential. Equal opportunities therefore also play a significant role in reducing poverty within society.
In addition, children who receive early childhood care enjoy a vairety of long-term benefits: They are more aware of the importance of physical activity and good nutrition, are more able to learn, attain higher academic qualifications and become high earners in their professional lives.
UN Committee on the Rights of the Child also calls for measures from the federal government
In its most recent recommendations issued in October 2021, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child also called on Switzerland to adopt a national strategy for strengthening early childhood education without delay. This strategy must incorporate measures to ensure in particular that access to and funding for appropriate childcare programs is also available for children from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. The Committee on the Rights of the Child also recommends that standards are developed to ensure the quality of external care.
UNICEF Switzerland and Liechtenstein supports parliamentary initiative 21.403 and calls on the federal government to increase its commitment to external childcare. It is particularly important to ensure that childcare services are accessible for all families and that a high quality of care is guaranteed. UNICEF Switzerland and Liechtenstein continues to advocate for high-quality and affordable childcare that promotes equal opportunities for all children and enables parents and caregivers to balance their family and professional responsibilities.