Daycare and childcare systems

Do you live in Luxembourg or will you be moving there soon? You want to have your children looked after but don’t know how to go about it?

You can find here :

• our tips for finding the right child care system for you
• the financial aid to which you may be entitled.

Day care centers and homes

Day care centers are the most traditional way of looking after your children in Luxembourg.
There are nearly 450 state-approved facilities in the country. Each one meets specific needs.

Private daycare centers or municipal daycare centers: you will undoubtedly find a quality daycare center near you, adapted to your criteria for looking after your children.

To be approved by the State, childcare facilities, whether private or public, must meet a certain number of criteria: mandatory garden or outdoor space, separate spaces for different ages, minimum number of square meters per child, qualified staff adapted to the child’s age, multilingualism, etc. The food, the pedagogy, the facilities, the opening hours and especially the accompaniments make the difference.

Read the descriptions of each structure carefully. Don’t hesitate to visit them to choose the most suitable childcare facility for your child.

 Municipal daycares, halfway houses and school residences

Municipalities generally have a public daycare service to offer parents. Priority is given to residents of the commune, whose 2 parents are active.

The Maison-relais act on behalf of the municipalities. They offer a daycare system, and even a canteen at lunchtime, to children attending the basic school of the municipality. This service is offered on school days and during vacation periods.

In some communities, you will find“Bësch Spillschoul” or “Bësch Klass” which are nature-oriented nurseries or classes. Your children will be welcomed in structures oriented towards outdoor games and the discovery of nature.

Service des foyers scolaires – City of Luxembourg

The Luxembourg City School Hostels take care of school-age children (3-12 years old) enrolled in the Luxembourg school system in Luxembourg City outside of school hours. After school, the children are taken care of in the school home attached to their neighborhood. The homes also operate during school vacations.
All information, fees and registration form can be found on the City of Luxembourg website.

Other municipalities

All the communes offer a crèche and Maison Relais service. Contact your local municipality directly for more information.

State-approved day care centers

The number of places available in these nurseries is limited. They are accessible with a prior registration and according to priority criteria linked to a :

• socio-familial context,
• need specific care (delay, disability, etc.).

Rates vary according to income. Contact the National Children’s Bureau for more information.

Private daycare centers near you

There are many private day care centers and homes in Luxembourg. These childcare facilities represent 2/3 of the 17,000 places available in the Grand Duchy. You can contact these private structures directly. We encourage you to visit the daycare centers near your home or work. You are bound to find the one that best suits your needs.

Approved by the Ministry of Education, these nurseries apply different pedagogical principles: Montessori, Reggio, Freinet, Steiner… Find out more about applied pedagogy, nutrition, … to find the one that best suits your needs.

You can find a list of daycare centers by region at www.guidedescreches.lu.

Kideaz.com is also a gold mine to find addresses of nurseries and homes in Luxembourg. In a few clicks, you will find the crèche or home closest to you that best meets your expectations. Geolocation, virtual visit, available places: all this precious information is available on the site.

Other child care systems

Looking for a more personalized way to care for your children? Do you need a babysitter on an exceptional basis (illness, travel, outing, …)? Luxembourg also offers a wide range of caregivers, nannies and babysitters.

Parental assistant

Parental assistance consists of regular paid day or night care of minor children. This mode of care offers flexibility for parents who work shifting hours. This possibility is not necessarily offered in traditional care structures, such as crèches, day care centers and halfway houses.

All parental assistants must be certified by the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth. The Dageselteren agency trains to become a parental assistant.

Arcus ASBL, Service Krank Kanner Doheem (especially for sick children) or the association AFP-Solidarité-Famille are the best known references in the field of parental assistance.

Nanny, caregiver, babysitter, housekeeper

In Luxembourg, there are several websites that put parents in contact with babysitters and nannies. Beware! If you hire a nanny, you will have to declare her to the Centre commun de la sécurité sociale (CCSS). See below.

The local authorities often have an up-to-date list of babysitters who can look after your child in the municipality. Find out more.

You will find in the classified ads of the websites www.petitweb.lu, www.webnounou.com, www.baby-sitter.lu many offers of nannies and other baby-sitters.

Does your teenager want to become a babysitter? AFP Solidarité-Famille trains future babysitters.

Young Au Pair

The au pair remains a very good solution for childcare. This provision is to be studied as long as there is enough room and board for them in the family for a certain period of time.

The au pair commits to perform light and routine tasks within the family. In return, you will provide accommodation, food and language courses. You must also provide an allowance in the form of pocket money, as well as days off.

Au pair hosting is very well regulated in order to avoid any abuse. Even if it is not regulated by the Labor Code, there are rights and duties for both parties. We explain here the steps to follow to welcome an au pair in your home. The au pair is a full member of your family.

For ideas of activities to do with your children, click here!

Mandatory declaration of your nanny or employee at home

Don’t forget that you must declare your home-based childcare provider to the Centre commun de la sécurité sociale. A declaration of entry must be made indicating the hourly wage at which you pay her .

Financial aid for childcare

Approved structures CSA providers

If you choose a state-approved “CSA provider”, you can benefit from financial aid for the care of your children.

Public or private, these childcare facilities may be day care centers, crèches or nursery assistants and are approved by the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth.

To benefit from this “CSA provider” label, childcare facilities must meet a number of quality specifications. In addition to the financial aid, it is also a guarantee of seriousness and quality for the parents

As such, you will benefit from reduced rates on your billing. Depending on your income, government financial assistance will be deducted from your bills until your child turns 12.

Remember to visit our page dedicated to family benefits, you will learn more about the Welcome-Service-Check .

Multilingual education for children from 1 to 4 years old

Since 2017, children aged 1 to 4 years old in a licensed childcare facility benefit from free multilingual supervision for 20 hours per week for 46 weeks per year. Your children are thus made aware of French and Luxembourgish from an early age.

The child’s mother tongue is not forgotten. It is integrated into the educational programs offered to children and families. Ask for information from the structures you visit.