The National Council validated on Tuesday the model proposed by the Council of States concerning the extra -family reception, even if it remains differences. The allowance would be funded by cantons and employers to reduce the charge of parents who have children at the crèche for example.
According to the project adopted by the National, the allowance must be paid to parents exercising a lucrative activity for children up to eight years which are taken care of in an institutional framework, such as a crèche or a parascolory service. It is also planned for parents without lucrative activity if they are in training or in continuing education.
This allowance must amount to at least 100 francs per month and be increased by 50 francs for each half-day of additional guard. The left failed to limit parents’ participation to a maximum of 10% of income.
For children with disabilities, the aid must be once and a half times higher when the costs linked to the specific management are higher, decided the Council of States. The National estimated Tuesday that this aid was to be from once and a half to three times higher in these cases.
Divergence on federal support
National left and center councilors also believe that the Confederation has a role to play so that extra -family reception improves throughout the country. For the Geneva socialist Estelle Revaz, “Switzerland needs children and qualified labor. Currently, the situation rather encourages one of the parents to give up a lucrative activity to take care of her child, because of the very heavy financial charge of the extra-family guard, but also because of the lack of available places and the lack of flexibility”.
>> Listen to the debate in Forum:
These arguments won on Tuesday at the National. The majority want to unlock 200 million francs over four years for programs conventions, that is to say the support of the confederation to the cantons which create for example new reception places or which promote the care of children with disabilities. The majority even propose to extend federal support for the situation in force today.
-For the States Council, the new allowance will help families, while sparing federal finances. He therefore wishes to delete programs. At the National, the right agreed with this: for the UDC Argovienne Stefanie Heimgartner, the extra -family reception is a responsibility which is the responsibility of the cantons and the municipalities, because “they know the local needs; they desigate the infrastructure and assume its responsibility”.
Indirect counter-project on the PS initiative
The debate is not over. The file returns to the Council of States. Once tied up, it will be presented as an indirect counter-project on the initiative of the PS on crèches, which wants to guarantee a place of reception for each child, from three months and until the end of compulsory education.
>> Read also: The Federal Council is opposed to the initiative on the guarantee of access to crèches
The National also adopted, by 101 votes to 88, a commission assumption requesting a report on the quality of the crèches, and in particular on the supervisory staff and their working conditions. The Federal Council was favorable to the text, unlike the UDC and the PLR.
>> Details in 12:30 p.m.:
Radio subject: Marielle Savoy
Web adaptation: Julie Liardet with ATS
