Federal Council wants to leave future daycare funding to parliament
Published: Friday, Jun 14th 2024, 13:20
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The Federal Council stands by its recommendation to reject the daycare initiative without a counter-proposal. It adopted the corresponding dispatch to Parliament on Friday. The councils are currently working on an alternative solution for the promotion of daycare places.
The Federal Council justifies its rejection with the costs, but is committed to promoting childcare that complements family life. "The initiative would massively burden the federal government's financial budget with billions in additional costs, which is unsustainable," writes the Federal Council in a press release. And this in an area that is primarily the responsibility of the cantons and municipalities.
The Federal Council argues that it makes more sense to advocate for a further strengthening of supplementary childcare as part of the parliamentary debate on the future of start-up funding. However, this should not be at the expense of the federal government.
According to the plans of the responsible Council of States committee, employers and, if necessary, employees should finance supplementary childcare in future. Their proposals on the childcare bill were open for consultation until Wednesday. The reactions are now being evaluated.
Broad-based initiative committee
The popular initiative "For good and affordable supplementary family childcare for all (daycare initiative)" was launched in July 2023. It calls for parents to have to spend a maximum of ten percent of their income on daycare places for their children.
However, the initiative not only wants to make daycare centers and after-school care accessible and affordable for all families, but also the entire spectrum of childcare for families and schools. The initiative committee is broadly based with representatives from the political left to the center.
According to the text of the initiative, the federal government would have to cover two thirds of the costs. It would also have to issue minimum guidelines on the quality of care, working conditions and other requirements. For twenty years, the federal government has been making financial contributions to the creation of new childcare places as part of the temporary impulse program.
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