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Where can I get childcare in Luxembourg?
Collective childcare facilities for 0-18 year olds.
Crèches, mini-crèches, nurseries, day care centres, after-school care centres… There are many ways to look after your children in Luxembourg, both public and private. So how do you choose? It all depends on your needs, your budget, the hours of care, the places available and, of course, the age of your offspring.
Crèches, mini-crèches, nurseries, day care centres, after-school care centres… There are many ways to look after your children in Luxembourg, both public and private. So how do you choose? It all depends on your needs, your budget, the hours of care, the places available and, of course, the age of your offspring.
Crèches, from 3 months
Private or public crèches are the most common form of childcare in Luxembourg. With the exception of decentralised mini-crèches, which can take children up to the age of 12, crèches are reserved for children who have not yet enrolled in school,i.e. from 3 months to a maximum of 4 years of age (school is compulsory from 4 to 16 years of age), or at 3 years of age for children enrolled in an “early childcare education” year (optional).
As in our neighbouring countries, the demand for childcare for young children is quite high, so it’s best to make enquiries as early as possible. You can preregister your child in a crèche from the fourth month of pregnancy.
Fortunately, the number of places available has increased significantly in recent years. Luxembourg currently has almost 450 state-approved crèches and 22 mini-crèches. And that’s not counting non-subsidised private establishments.
Municipal crèches
All Luxembourg municipalities offer a public crèche service. However, places are limited and priority is given to local residents with two working parents. Other priority criteria are also taken into account, such as household income, the social and family situation and the child’s specific needs (e.g. disability or mentally disabled).
Rates are set by the State and vary according to your income. In addition, financial support is available in many establishments via the Chèque-Service Accueil scheme (see below).
To register, contact your local authority’s childcare service.
Private crèches
Private crèches, which are sometimes set up within companies, account for two-thirds of the childcare places available for the under-4s. They offer a wide range of educational approaches, the best known of which are Montessori, Freinet, Steiner and Reggio.
Please note: some private crèches are subsidised, others are not! While the former are required to charge the fees set by the State based on household income, non-subsidised crèches are completely free to set their own prices. They are often very expensive, generally costing between €850 and €1,300 a month.
Registration is handled directly by the establishment concerned.
Mini-crèches, from 0 to 12 years old
More intimate versions, mini-crèches are decentralised structures that can accommodate up to 11 children between 0 and 12 years of age (including a maximum of four babies under the age of 1). Their aim is to broaden the range of childcare options, mainly for families in rural areas. Their working hours are generally more flexible than those of crèches. Some offer continuous supervision from 5 am until 11 pm.
As a back-up: nurseries for children up to 8 years old
Like crèches, nurseries can be municipal, subsidised or private. In principle, they are limited to 16 hours’ childcare a week, and are used on an occasional basis by parents who are short of childcare solutions or who want to introduce their child to life in the community.
For older children: day care centres and after-school care centres
– Day care centres are dedicated to children enrolled in primary education, aged between 3-4 and 12 (in some cases up to 18), outside school hours and during the holidays. As well as childcare and supervision, these establishments offer help doing homework, educational activities and sometimes meals.
– After-school care centres can be found in every commune in Luxembourg (called “Foyers scolaires” in Luxembourg City). They offer exactly the same type of services. However, as municipal facilities, they are reserved as a priority for families living in the commune and for children attending school in the commune.
GOOD TO KNOW:
State-approved childcare facilities (municipal or subsidised establishments) are grouped together under the name “Service d’Éducation et d’Accueil” (SEA). This means that they must meet a certain number of quality criteria, particularly in terms of comfort, indoor and outdoor space for children, staff qualifications, balanced meals, teaching methods and even multi-lingual skills. Since 2017, subsidised facilities have had to provide trilingual supervision in Luxembourgish, French and German (the country’s three official languages). You can find the official directory of all education and care (SEA) facilities in Luxembourg here.
Financial assistance: Chèque-Service Accueil (CSA)
Whether you choose a public or private crèche, a daycare centre, an after-school care centre or a nursery, if you choose a childcare facility approved by the State (SEA) and certified as a “Chèque-Service Accueil” (CSA) provider, you can have all or part of your childcare costs paid for free.
- Children aged 1 to 4 benefit from 20 hours of free multilingual childcare per week (46 weeks per year, maximum €6/hour), or from up to 30 hours for families on low incomes. This aid has been granted by the State since 2017 as part of its multilingual education programme, to introduce the youngest children to French and Luxembourgish.
- Children aged 4 to 12 (and sometimes older)enrolled in basic education can benefit from completely free after-school care (as well as five free meals) during school weeks, Monday to Friday, from 7 am to 7 pm. Outside these hours and during school holidays, parents contribute financially according to their income, in line with the CSA scales (more information can be found on the Ministry of National Education, Children and Youth website).
- How can you benefit from it?
– First of all, check with the establishment that it is recognised as a “Chèque-Service Accueil (CSA) provider” by the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth. You can usually find this information easily on their website. Please note: not all state-approved structures (SEA) automatically have the “CSA service provider” label!
– You must apply for a CSA membership card from the Caisse pour l’Avenir des Enfants by following this link. Please note that the card is only valid for one year.
Tax deductibility
You can deduct childcare costs in the form of a flat-rate allowance of up to €450 per month and €4,500 per year (for the 2022 tax year) if the child is under 14 on 1 January of the tax year.
How do I declare childcare costs for tax purposes?
Do you want to save for your children’s future? Find the formula that best suits your needs by reading our article on the subject. Foyer also offers two simple, flexible and tax-efficient savings solutions with life insurance.
