Why Switzerland’s daycare numbers are rising amid regional divides

There are currently over 3,800 daycare centres across Switzerland. That's almost 700 more than four years ago. Keystone / Gaetan Bally

There are currently over 3,800 daycare centres across Switzerland, almost 700 more than four years ago. However, major differences exist between cantons. Author of a study, Pierre Lüssi from the University of Bern, explains why.

SRF News: How do you explain the increase in the number of daycare centres in Switzerland?

Pierre Lüssi: I believe this expansion largely aligns with family needs. Much of it is also privately organised, so daycare centres are developing where demand exists. The political situation, however, varies significantly across cantons. Each canton has a different balance of power, distinct ideas about who should be responsible for childcare, and different levels of public funding available.

Pierre Lüssi: PhD student and assistant at the IPW at the University of Bern

Pierre Lüssi is a doctoral candidate at the Chair of Swiss Politics at the Institute of Political Science (IPW) at the University of Bern.

SRF News: The differences between cantons are clearly substantial. Why is that?

PL: We see expansion across almost all cantons, so overall, Switzerland is experiencing growth in daycare services. But there are two main differences between cantons. First, urban areas tend to have higher levels of provision and more public funding. Second, German-speaking cantons generally have fewer services than Ticino and French-speaking Switzerland. This likely reflects differences in beliefs about whether childcare is primarily a family responsibility or a state-supported service.

SRF News: So there seems to be a linguistic divide – a Rösti and Polenta divide.

PL: Yes, in general terms, we can say that. Urban cantons, like Basel City, lead the German-speaking areas, but there is also a noticeable divide between Rösti [German-speaking] and Polenta [Italian-speaking] regions, and an urban-rural difference as well.

SRF News: Canton Vaud stands out in the study. It has over 800 daycare centres and tops the statistics in absolute numbers. Why is this?

PL: Part of the explanation is that western Swiss cantons generally have more daycare centres. However, the number of centres doesn’t necessarily correlate with the number of children in care. Some cantons may have fewer centres but provide as many childcare places as those with more centres, just fewer places per centre.

SRF News: The political environment is challenging at the moment. Recently, the Federal Council proposed completely withdrawing federal funding for daycare centres, and we occasionally hear about daycare closures. How does this fit with the current statistics?

PL: This relates to the distribution of responsibilities among the federal government, cantons, and municipalities, which differ widely. At the federal level, however, we see some movement. For instance, a parliamentary initiative is under review in the Senate, proposing federal contributions to childcare subsidies. So, I think this growing need at the cantonal level is also increasingly recognised at the federal level.

Translated from German using DeepL/amva