Future childcare is not necessarily the first thing on your mind when you discover you’re about to become a parent.
In fact, it comes a long way behind vague panic, prepping your home for your new arrival, vague panic, spending a fortune on clothes that they’ll soon grow out of — not to mention car seats and prams — and attending all sorts of scans and appointments with your doctor and sage femme (midwife). And did we mention vague panic?
But, it’s important to sort your childcare options early, if you intend to return to work in the months after the birth of your child. Here’s what you need to know.
1 Your options
Crèche or childminder? Grandparents or live-in nanny? Parents have a choice. So you need to decide if you want to your child to go to:
- A collective crèche, managed by the municipality or département;
- A private crèche, which tends to be more exclusive and — therefore — more costly;
- A family daycare centre, run by childminders;
- A parent-run crèche, operated by a parent-led association;
- Drop-in daycare, which offers a maximum three half-days care per child;
- A company crèche (or inter-company crèche), for the children of a company’s employees. These may also accept children from outside, if space is available;
- An approved childminder, who either cares for children at their home, or at a MaM (Maison d’Assistants Maternelles) where several childminders work;
- A live-in nanny, who looks after the child at the parents’ home.
2 Important discussions
Before dashing off in search of childcare options, it’s a good idea for parents to determine what level of care they want, need, and can afford.
Childcare is relatively affordable in France, but the exact costs in public services are charged on a sliding scale depending on parental income - full details HERE.
Other considerations include whether both parents work full-time and whether you need full-time or part-time childcare assistance. This saves a lot of time and mental energy later.
3 Get in early
Despite the above, you need to act promptly. Some private nurseries accept registrations from the end of the first trimester, or even as soon as the pregnancy is confirmed, while local authority-run ones routinely take applications from the sixth month.
You should, if you can, ensure you get in as early as you can because places fill up ferociously fast, even in smaller towns, let alone big cities.
It’s a good idea, even relatively early in a pregnancy to see if you can make an appointment at a crèche. You may get the chance to have a look round and the staff will guide you through the process.
You may even be able to pre-register online. Contact your early childhood services department at your local mairie, or check out its website for area-specific information, including how you apply.
Each town has a dedicated early childhood services department that manages crèches, registered childminders, drop-in childcare centres, and municipal facilities for children from birth to three years of age.
4 Sort your paperwork
This is France. It thrives on red tape. When you apply, you’ll need a few bits of original documentation:
If the child has been born you will need their birth certificate or family record book, otherwise a document confirming pregnancy.
You will also need;
- Parents’ identity documents;
- Proof of address less than three months (such as a rent receipt, electricity or gas bill);
- Proof of income for the last three months (pay slips, Pôle Emploi payment statement, CAF statement, for example);
- Latest income tax assessment (unmarried parents will need both assessments) - your payslips and tax returns will help determine how much you pay if you send your child to a local authority-run crèche, because bills are based on your family quotient.
If you are offered a place, you will also be asked for a medical certificate of fitness for communal living, as well as other documents.
For reference, nursery managers appreciate it when parents can detail their work schedules, specific needs, or type of employment.
5 I want to go to private
For enrolment in a private daycare centre, you will also need to provide a complete application containing the same supporting documents as those required for enrolment in a municipal crèche.
To submit your documents and application, contact the private organisation managing the crèche directly. They will inform you about the procedures and assist you in finalising your enrolment.
5 Acceptance
Demand for places at a crèche — whether it’s local authority-run or private — is routinely very high, hence the need to apply early. As such, a selection process is involved, and, for local authority places, a lot depends on the professional, personal and family situation of the parents.
The following have a better chance of finding an opening at a local authority crèche:
- Parents of twins;
- Single parents or single-parent families;
- Low-income households;
- Parents looking for a job;
- If the child comes from a sibling group that has already attended the childcare facility.
If a place is allocated to you, you will then be asked to submit administrative documents to complete your registration. Each family will need to provide :
- a copy of your livre famille or the child's birth certificate;
- a copy of the up-to-date vaccination record;
- a medical certificate of fitness for communal living – this confirms your child’s mandatory vaccinations are up to date and that there are no medical reasons why your child should not experience life in a community.
Once registration is complete, the nursery director may contact you to arrange a meeting. This visit will allow you to meet the team of early childhood professionals, explore the facilities and learn about the daily activities offered.
Then, chances are your child will initially go for short stays to get used to the staff, the other children. You may be asked to stay with your child for a time at first. But, as they settle in, you’ll find they need you less and less. Which can hurt, and does not help quell that vague sense of panic you will still feel, and will continue to feel for many years to come...
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