Council of States committee wants to finance daycare places with wage contributions
Published: Friday, Feb 16th 2024, 15:51
Updated At: Friday, Feb 16th 2024, 15:51
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In future, it will not be the federal government, but employers and possibly employees who will finance supplementary childcare. This is the proposal of the responsible Council of States committee. It has submitted its proposals on the childcare bill for consultation.
More mothers should take up gainful employment after the birth of their children. After the National Council, the Committee for Science, Education and Culture of the Council of States (WBK-S) also wants this. However, it would like to implement an alternative concept with a childcare allowance.
By 11 votes to 1 with one abstention, it adopted proposals for a corresponding bill, as the parliamentary services announced on Friday. On the basis of the consultation results, it will decide which proposals it will submit to the Council, according to the WBK-S.
Fear of the bureaucracy monster
The details of the bill have not yet been made public. However, according to the press release, the Council of States committee does not want to overburden the federal budget with a heavily tied new benefit. It is proposing a financing system in the Family Allowances Act based on employer and possibly employee contributions. It considers this childcare allowance to be compatible with the goal of counteracting the shortage of skilled workers.
According to the WBK-S, the solution presented takes into account the fear that very complex structures would have to be set up in the cantons for implementation if a federal contribution were to be introduced. This is what the National Council wants. It had decided this in its old composition before the federal elections - in spring 2023.
The Grand Chamber wants the federal government to cover up to twenty percent of the average cost of a childcare place borne by parents for four years. After that, the federal contribution would be redefined depending on the financial commitment of the cantons. This would cost around CHF 710 million per year.
Dispute over distribution of tasks
As the Council of States committee goes on to write, it considers the program agreements to be a suitable instrument on the part of the federal government to support the cantons and municipalities in providing supplementary childcare. However, the majority would like to remove measures to promote quality and better align supplementary childcare with the needs of parents from the bill. These areas would be the responsibility of the cantons.
According to the WBK-S, the funding area for the further development of the cantons' early childhood development policy should be retained. The funding area for the creation of more institutional childcare places or for closing existing gaps in the cantons should also be retained.
Furthermore, an additional support area for children with disabilities is to be introduced, which, in addition to creating places, will also reduce costs for parents. According to the communication, a minority of the Commission would like to retain all areas of support. Another minority would like to delete the further development of the early education policy, as it also considers this to be the responsibility of the cantons.
Daycare center initiative puts pressure on
For the program agreements, the majority of the WBK-S would like to see a commitment credit of CHF 128 million for four years. A minority is in favor of a commitment credit of CHF 168 million for four years, i.e. a quarter less than in the National Council's proposal. Another minority would like to approve CHF 60 million over four years.
However, there is a consensus that the use of childcare services to supplement family life should be made more affordable and therefore more attractive. The compatibility of work and family life should be further improved in Switzerland. In addition, the increased integration of mothers into the labor market can counteract the shortage of skilled workers.
The federal government has supported the creation of childcare places with CHF 451 million to date. 72,271 new places have been created in daycare centers, supplementary school care and daycare families. The program, which came into force in 2003, has been extended several times.
Last summer, a broad-based committee with representatives from the political left to the center submitted the federal popular initiative "For good and affordable supplementary childcare for all (daycare initiative)" to the Federal Chancellery. It demands that parents should not have to spend more than ten percent of their income on daycare places for their children.
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