Switzerland's new daycare law is designed to ease the burden of childcare costs for families. Parliament passed the law in December 2025. However, the new childcare allowance is not yet available. We explain what support is planned, who could benefit, and what parents can already do today.
What is the new daycare law in Switzerland?
The Federal Act on the Support of Institutional Childcare Complementary to the Family (UKibeG) forms the basis for the planned childcare allowance.
It pursues two goals: families should be financially relieved through a new childcare allowance. At the same time, the Confederation and cantons are meant to develop childcare provision in a targeted way.
Important: The law is not yet in force. Parents therefore cannot currently apply for or receive the new childcare allowance. According to the Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO), the first payments could likely start from 2029. However, the exact start date has not yet been set.
What applies today, and what will change with the daycare law?
Various cantons and municipalities already support families with childcare costs today. Whether subsidies are granted, and how much, depends on your place of residence and the applicable requirements.
The new daycare law is meant to complement these existing funding options with a childcare allowance regulated across Switzerland.
Area | Today: Cantonal and municipal support | New: Planned childcare allowance |
Financial support | Depending on the canton or municipality: childcare vouchers or subsidised daycare places | Additional childcare allowance for eligible families |
Amount of support | Depends on the local funding model and individual requirements | From CHF 100 per month for one day of care per week |
Eligibility | Varying cantonal and municipal requirements | Eligibility requirements regulated nationwide |
Availability | Existing funding options can already be used | Only once the law comes into force |
The table shows the difference between the existing local funding models and the planned federal childcare allowance. Which support families receive today still depends on where you live.
Who will receive the new childcare allowance and how much will it be?
The planned childcare allowance is aimed at families whose children receive regular institutional care.
According to the FSIO's official FAQ on the daycare law, the main requirements include the following:
The child is cared for institutionally in Switzerland at least one day per week.
Care is provided in one of Switzerland's national languages.
The childcare allowance is planned to run until the end of the month in which the child turns eight.
As a rule, both parents are employed or in education or further training.
In addition to daycares, childminders are also eligible, provided they are affiliated with an organisation that has its own legal personality. Private care by nannies or grandparents is not taken into account.
The planned childcare allowance amounts to CHF 100 per month for one day of care per week. For each additional half day of care, it increases by CHF 50. For five days of care per week, a maximum of CHF 500 per month is planned.
The actual childcare allowance requires that all eligibility conditions are met. It may not exceed the childcare costs that the parents themselves bear.
Example: A family pays CHF 500 per month for daycare. Of this, the canton already covers CHF 300 through a childcare voucher. The parents therefore still pay CHF 200 themselves.
Even though the family would in principle be entitled to a childcare allowance of CHF 300 under the planned daycare law, they could receive at most CHF 200.
The reason: The childcare allowance may not be higher than the costs the parents actually pay themselves.
For children with disabilities, a higher childcare allowance is planned, provided the actual childcare costs are correspondingly higher. It amounts to one and a half to a maximum of twice the regular allowance.
When and how can parents apply for the new childcare allowance?
Parents cannot currently apply for the new childcare allowance, as the daycare law is not yet in force.
According to the FSIO's official information, payments are to be made in future via the family compensation funds. Employed parents are generally expected to submit the application through their employer. The Federal Council still needs to define the further details of the application process.
What happens to existing daycare subsidies? What does the new daycare law mean for your family?
What effects the new daycare law could have depends on your childcare situation. Three typical examples show what families should keep in mind.
1. Your child already attends a daycare
Your child attends daycare three days a week. Under the planned regulation, this would in principle entitle you to CHF 300 per month. This requires that all eligibility conditions are met and that the childcare costs you bear yourself reach at least this amount.
Since the law is not yet in force, nothing will change in your current childcare costs for now. Existing childcare contracts remain the basis for your planning.
2. You're looking for a daycare place
You're planning to have your child cared for in a daycare in the future. The planned childcare allowance could reduce your costs once it is introduced.
For your current decision, however, the available daycare places, days of care, and prices are what matter. You shouldn't yet factor the new allowance firmly into your family budget.
3. You already receive childcare vouchers or subsidies
Your municipality already contributes to your childcare costs. Whether and how the new childcare allowance will additionally affect your family budget has not yet been conclusively clarified.
The existing funding provisions therefore remain decisive for your current cost planning.
What happens to existing daycare subsidies?
The new childcare allowance is meant to complement, not replace, the existing cantonal and municipal funding models.
As the Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO) explains, existing subsidies and the new childcare allowance can exist alongside each other.
The existing funding models differ from canton to canton and from municipality to municipality. These include, for example, childcare vouchers or subsidised daycare places. We show how such support works in practice using the example of childcare vouchers in the canton of Bern.
How much financial relief individual families will actually receive in future therefore also depends on the respective funding provisions.
You can find more information on childcare costs in our guide on daycare costs in Switzerland.
What can parents do before the law comes into force?
Even though the new daycare law is not yet in effect, families can already plan their childcare today. We recommend three steps:
Determine your childcare needs: Think about which days and times your child needs care. Also take your working hours and possible changes in your family routine into account.
Find out about current support: Ask your municipality about existing childcare vouchers, subsidies, and application deadlines. This way, you'll learn what financial support is already possible today.
Compare daycare options: Check the available places as well as prices, opening hours, and locations. With Awina's daycare comparison, you can find suitable options for your family.
Our conclusion: Switzerland's new daycare law is designed to provide families with financial relief in the future. Until it is introduced, the existing support options remain decisive.
We're here to help you find the right childcare. Do you have questions about finding a daycare? Then get in touch with us.