They want to increase the number of nursery places in Geneva. The Vert’Liberaux and The Center join forces and announce the launch of a popular cantonal initiative to encourage the creation of new places. Currently, there is a shortage of more than 3,000 places in the canton.
The initiative will be launched in the coming weeks, note the two parties in a joint press release. To make it a success, they will need to collect 4,153 valid signatures within four months.
The text includes several measures intended to encourage the opening of new nursery places. It thus provides that each municipality pays a deposit to the Foundation for preschool care and that this deposit will only be returned to it if the community offers a sufficient number of nursery places. Details from Aurélien Barakat, President of the Geneva Vert’liberals party.
Contribution from the canton
The initiative also requires the canton to loosen its purse strings. Today “anecdotal”, the State’s contribution should, according to the text of the initiative, cover a third of the total cost of the structures. Cantonal funding would involve a payment to the Foundation for preschool care.
It also plans to create a cantonal counter for parents in order to provide them with better information on the number of places available. Finally, it asks that the cost for parents of their child’s care in a crèche does not exceed 10% of their determining income.
The initiators thus want to respond to one of the concerns of Geneva families, explains Philippe Rochetin, President of the Geneva Center.
On the same subject, a year ago, a cantonal legislative initiative “Free crèches for all children”, from the Popular Union List (LUP), was invalidated. It was contrary to the Geneva Constitution which requires financial participation from parents and excludes the right of families to a place.
Laurie Selli with Source: ats
Swiss