Single Parents: How to Find the Right Childcare

Single Parents: How to Find the Right Childcare

Around 230,000 single-parent households exist in Switzerland — and the number is rising. As a single mother or single father, you carry full responsibility for your child, often on a single income. Finding the right childcare isn't just an organisational question — it's existential: it determines whether you can work, how stable your daily family life is, and how you and your child are doing emotionally.

This guide shows you step by step what childcare options are available to you, what financial support you can access as a single parent in Switzerland, and how to build a reliable support network. Because one thing first: you don't have to do this alone — and you're allowed to ask for help.

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The Special Challenges: One Income, Full Responsibility

Why Single Parents Have It Doubly Hard

As a single parent, you face an equation that rarely adds up: you're supposed to earn money and be there for your child at the same time. What gets distributed across four shoulders in two-parent families rests on your two alone. In concrete terms, this means:

• Financial burden: A single income must cover rent, living expenses, and childcare costs. According to the Federal Statistical Office (BFS), the poverty rate among single-parent households is around 25% — more than three times higher than for couples with children.
• Time burden: Work, household, parenting, bureaucratic errands, doctor's appointments — everything has to be coordinated by one person. Flexible working hours or part-time work are often the only solution, which further reduces income.
• Organisational burden: When your child falls ill, there's no second parent who can step in at short notice. Every daycare cancellation becomes a crisis. In our article Child Sick: When Can They Go to Daycare? you'll find practical tips for exactly these situations.
• Emotional burden: The worry about whether you're "enough" accompanies many single parents. Guilt, exhaustion, and the feeling of never having a break are widespread.

Important to know: Being a single parent is not a weakness — it's an enormous achievement. And Switzerland offers more support than many people realise. You just need to know where.

Which Childcare Options Suit Single Parents?

The choice of childcare depends heavily on your work situation, your budget, and your child's age. Here's an overview of which options are particularly relevant for single parents:

Childcare type	Advantages for single parents	Disadvantages	Cost (approx.)
Daycare / Kita	Fixed structure, long opening hours, pedagogical concept	Little flexibility when child is ill, sometimes long waiting lists	CHF 80–150/day (before subsidies)
Day-care family	Flexible hours, family-like setting, often cheaper	Less structure, dependence on one person	CHF 8–12/hour
Playgroup	Social contacts for child, affordable	Only a few hours per week, not a substitute for work	CHF 15–25/half-day
Nanny / Babysitter	Maximum flexibility, comes to your home	Most expensive, you are the employer	CHF 25–35/hour
Grandparents / Family	Familiar, often free, flexible	Not always available, can strain the relationship	Free (ideally with appreciation)
Neighbourhood help	Free or cheap, sense of community	Non-binding, not always reliable	Free / reciprocal

Our childcare search on kizi.ch helps you find suitable daycares, playgroups, and day-care families near you — including filter options for flexible opening hours and subsidised places.

Tip: Many single parents combine several forms of childcare. For example: three days of daycare (subsidised), one day with grandparents, and one afternoon of neighbourhood help. This gives you the security of a fixed structure and a buffer for unexpected situations at the same time.

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Financial Support: The Help You're Entitled To

Subsidies: Often Higher Entitlement with Lower Income

As a single parent, you have a significantly higher entitlement to subsidies for childcare in many cantons and municipalities. The reason is simple: your household income is typically lower than that of two-parent families, and that's exactly what most subsidy models are based on.

What you need to know:

• Income thresholds for subsidy eligibility in most municipalities are calculated based on taxable income. As a single parent, you almost automatically fall into a lower category.
• In many municipalities, the public sector covers 50 to 80% of childcare costs for single parents with low to middle incomes.
• Some cantons do not count child maintenance (alimony) — or only partially — towards the relevant income, which further improves your entitlement.

You'll find a detailed overview of the various subsidy models in our guide Subsidies for Childcare.

Childcare Vouchers for Single Parents: Special Rules

Childcare vouchers are the most common instrument in Switzerland for making non-family childcare more affordable. The good news: in many cantons and cities, special rules apply for single parents that give you a higher entitlement.

How do childcare vouchers work?

1. You apply for the vouchers at your municipality of residence or the canton
2. The authority calculates, based on your income, how much you need to contribute yourself (parental contribution)
3. The public sector pays the rest directly to the childcare facility
4. You only pay your reduced parental contribution to the daycare or day-care family

Special rules for single parents:

• City of Bern: Single parents automatically receive a higher voucher amount. The deductible is lower than for two-parent households with the same income.
• City of Zurich: The childcare contribution is based on taxable income. Since single parents can claim the sole earner deduction, the contribution is often significantly lower.
• Canton of Lucerne: Single parents are entitled to childcare vouchers even at higher income levels than couples.
• City of Basel: The progressive tariff system explicitly considers single-parent household status.

You'll find our complete guide to the application process in the article Applying for Childcare Vouchers: Step by Step.

Employment Level Requirement: What Applies When Applying for Vouchers?

Here's where many single parents hit a stumbling block: most municipalities require a minimum employment level to grant childcare vouchers. The logic behind it: subsidies are meant to promote the compatibility of work and family — if you're not working, you (theoretically) don't need childcare.

What applies for single parents:

Situation	Entitled to vouchers?	Note
You work at least 20%	Yes, in most municipalities	Employment level determines the number of subsidised care days
You are in education / training	Yes, often treated equally	Proof from the educational institution required
You are actively seeking work (registered with RAV)	Partially	Some municipalities grant temporary entitlement
You are temporarily unable to work (illness)	Case-by-case decision	Medical certificate required
You receive social assistance	Often yes	Social services can cover childcare costs
You are not employed without RAV registration	Generally no	Exception: integration programmes

Important for single parents: Many municipalities have recognised that single parents cannot work precisely because they lack childcare — a classic chicken-and-egg problem. That's why there are increasingly bridging vouchers that enable you to enter employment. Ask your municipality proactively!

Calculation: How many care days are you entitled to?

The rule of thumb in most municipalities is:

• Employment level 20% = entitlement to approx. 1 care day/week
• Employment level 40% = entitlement to approx. 2 care days/week
• Employment level 60% = entitlement to approx. 3 care days/week
• Employment level 80–100% = entitlement to approx. 4–5 care days/week

For single parents, an additional half-day per week is often granted, since the second parent is not regularly available. Here too: check with your municipality about the exact rules.

You can use our cost calculator to work out what you actually pay after deducting subsidies.

Further Financial Support at a Glance

In addition to childcare vouchers, there are a number of other financial support options that are particularly relevant for single parents:

1. Advance Maintenance Payments (Alimentenbevorschussung)

If the parent liable for maintenance doesn't pay child support or pays irregularly, advance maintenance payments step in in most cantons. This means:

• The municipality or canton pays you the agreed maintenance amount monthly
• The authority then recovers the amount from the parent liable for payment
• You receive regular payments regardless of whether the other parent pays
• In most cantons, the advance amount is capped at a maximum (typically CHF 750–1,300/month per child, depending on the canton)

Where to apply? At the social authority of your municipality of residence. You'll need the maintenance agreement or divorce decree with the set maintenance amount. More on this in our article Separation & Divorce: What Changes with Childcare?.

2. Supplementary Benefits (EL) for Families

Certain cantons have supplementary benefits for families — an instrument that specifically supports low-income families (and thus often single parents):

• Canton of Vaud (PC Familles): Supplementary benefits for families with children under 16
• Canton of Geneva: Prestations complémentaires familiales
• Canton of Solothurn: Family supplementary benefits (FEL)
• Canton of Ticino: Assegni integrativi and assegni di prima infanzia

These cantonal supplementary benefits can amount to several hundred francs per month and are paid in addition to child allowances and maintenance.

3. Tax Deductions for Childcare

Single parents benefit doubly from tax deductions:

• Childcare deduction: Costs for third-party care of children under 14 are deductible (max. CHF 25,500 per child for direct federal tax since 2023). Cantonal amounts vary.
• Sole earner deduction / Single parent deduction: Most cantons grant a special deduction for single parents.
• Insurance deductions: Health insurance premiums for you and your child.

Details on tax deductions can be found in our guide Deducting Childcare from Your Taxes.

4. Premium Reduction (IPV)

As a single parent with low or middle income, you are entitled to an individual premium reduction for health insurance in all cantons — for you and your child. This can amount to several hundred francs per month. The application is processed through the cantonal compensation office or the municipality.

5. Social Assistance as the Last Safety Net

If money is still not enough despite all support, you are entitled to social assistance. Important: Social assistance is not a failure but a legally anchored right. The social service can:

• Cover childcare costs directly (often including a guaranteed daycare place)
• Support you in job searching
• Arrange further services (e.g. discounted leisure activities for children)

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Building a Network: You Need a Village

Why a Network Is Vital for Single Parents

There's an African proverb that says it takes a whole village to raise a child. For single parents, this is especially true. A functioning network is your safety net — for everyday life and for emergencies.

Neighbourhood Help

• Get to know your neighbours: Even a short conversation in the stairwell can be the start of a valuable support relationship
• Offer something yourself: Reciprocity works. Perhaps you can look after the neighbour's child on Saturday, and in return the neighbour takes over on Wednesday afternoon
• Neighbourhood associations and community centres: Many neighbourhoods organise neighbourhood help projects. Ask your municipality

Parent Networks

• Parent-child meeting points: Almost every municipality has open meeting points where you can get to know other parents
• Single parent groups: Organisations like the Swiss Association of Single Mothers and Fathers (SVAMV) offer regional meeting points and online forums
• Playgroup parent circles: Your child's playgroup is also a network for you
• Online communities: Facebook groups like "Single Parents in Zurich" or "Single Parents Switzerland" connect you with like-minded people
• Daycare parent evenings: Use these occasions actively for networking — other parents face similar challenges

Organising Emergency Childcare

As a single parent, an emergency plan is not optional but essential for survival. What happens when you get ill? When your child can't go to daycare but you have an important work appointment?

How to build your emergency plan:

1. Create a list of 3–5 people who can step in in an emergency (grandparents, friends, neighbours, godparents)
2. Establish a calling order: Who gets called first?
3. Leave a spare key: At least one trusted person should have a key to your home
4. Provide information: Allergies, medications, doctor's contact, daily routine — summarise everything on one sheet
5. Inform your employer: Be open about being a single parent. Many employers show understanding when informed early
6. Professional emergency childcare: Some municipalities and organisations offer short-notice emergency childcare (e.g. SRK home childcare)

Tip: The Swiss Red Cross (SRK) offers home childcare in many regions. Trained carers come to your home when your child is ill or you have an emergency. Costs are income-based and often significantly reduced for single parents.

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The Path to a Childcare Place: Step by Step

Step 1: Clarify Your Needs

Before you start searching, clarify for yourself:

• How many days per week do you need childcare?
• At what times do you need your child cared for? (Early care from 7am? Late care until 6:30pm?)
• What budget do you have — before and after subsidies?
• Which type of care suits your child and your situation?

Our guide Finding a Daycare Place: How to Succeed takes you through the entire process.

Step 2: Check Subsidy Eligibility

Before you start searching, you should clarify your entitlement to childcare vouchers. The reason: subsidised places are generally tied to specific facilities that have a service agreement with the municipality.

• Contact your municipality of residence (Social Affairs / Youth and Family department)
• Bring: salary statement or tax assessment, employment contract, divorce decree or maintenance agreement
• Explicitly ask about special rules for single parents

Step 3: Search for a Childcare Place

Use our search on kizi.ch to find suitable childcare options near you. You can filter by:

• Type of care (daycare, playgroup, day-care family)
• Location and radius
• Opening hours
• Available places
• Subsidised places

Step 4: Visit and Decide

Take time for visits — even if the pressure is high. Pay particular attention to:

• Opening hours and flexibility in emergencies
• How sick children are handled
• Communication with parents
• Settling-in concept (a gentle settling-in process is especially important for children from single-parent households)

Step 5: Plan the Settling-In

Settling in takes time — usually 2 to 4 weeks. As a single parent, this means:

• Plan holiday days or reduced working hours for the settling-in phase
• Talk to your employer early about the necessary flexibility
• Prepare your child: Talk positively about daycare, read books on the topic, visit the daycare together beforehand

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Legal Tips for Single Parents

Advance Maintenance Payments: Your Right to Regular Payments

As described above, you are entitled to advance payments when maintenance is not paid. Important points:

• Submit the application as soon as possible when payments stop — not months later
• Document everything: Missing payments, reminders, attempts at contact
• Advance payments are not charity: It is your right, and the authority recovers the money from the parent liable for payment

Supplementary Benefits and Other Entitlements

Systematically check whether you are entitled to the following benefits:

• Cantonal family supplementary benefits (see above)
• Advance maintenance payments
• Premium reduction (health insurance)
• Subsidised childcare (childcare vouchers)
• Child allowances (CHF 215/month per child, partially higher depending on the canton)
• Maternity compensation (if applicable)
• Scholarships (if you are in education/training)
• Discounts: Many municipalities offer discounted leisure activities, public transport passes (e.g. SBB Family Travelcard), and holiday pass offers

Practical tip: Make a list of all benefits and work through them one by one. The SVAMV offers a helpful checklist and personal counselling for this. Caritas and Pro Juventute also provide free advice.

Custody and Childcare Arrangements

Since 2014, joint custody has been the default in Switzerland — including for unmarried parents (since recognition of the child). This means:

• Both parents jointly decide on important matters (school, type of care, medical treatments)
• Day-to-day care lies with the parent the child lives with — usually you
• When choosing a daycare, you don't necessarily need the other parent's consent (everyday decision), unless the care contract has financial implications for maintenance

More on this topic in our guide Separation & Divorce: What Changes with Childcare?.

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Emotional Aspects: Letting Go of Guilt and Strengthening Self-Care

Why Guilt Is Normal — But Not Helpful

Many single parents are plagued by guilt: "Am I putting my child in daycare too early?" "Am I enough for my child?" "Can I actually manage this?" These thoughts are human and understandable — but they are not the truth.

What the research shows:

• Children benefit from high-quality care — regardless of family structure
• Children from single-parent households develop just as well as others when the care is right
• Your wellbeing is your child's wellbeing: When you're doing well, your child is doing well too

Self-Care Is Not a Luxury

As a single parent, you may tend to put your own needs last. But self-care is not selfishness — it's a necessity.

Practical self-care tips:

• Use the care time: When your child is at daycare, consciously take time for yourself — not just for housework
• Say yes to help: When someone offers to look after your child — accept it. Without a bad conscience
• Maintain friendships: Social contacts are not a luxury but protect against isolation and burnout
• Professional support: Don't hesitate to seek counselling or therapy. Many municipalities offer free parenting advice
• Exercise and nature: Just 20 minutes outdoors makes a difference. Jogging with a pushchair, walking in the woods — it doesn't have to be perfect
• Create routines: Fixed routines give you and your child security and reduce daily decision stress

You are not alone: Over 230,000 single-parent households exist in Switzerland. There is a large, if often invisible, community of people going through exactly what you're going through. Seek these people out — in groups, online, at playgroup.

If You're Working on Re-Entry

The return to work after maternity leave is particularly challenging for single parents. Our guide gives you concrete tips on how to balance work and childcare — even as a single-parent family.

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Checklist: Organising Childcare as a Single Parent

Here is your personal checklist — work through it point by point:

Clarify finances:

• Check entitlement to childcare vouchers at your municipality
• Apply for advance maintenance payments (if maintenance is outstanding)
• Apply for premium reduction for health insurance
• Check cantonal supplementary benefits for families
• Note tax deductions for childcare
• Apply for child allowances with your employer or the compensation office

Organise childcare:

• Clarify childcare needs (days, times, type)
• Search and compare options on kizi.ch
• Arrange visit appointments
• Discuss settling-in phase with employer
• Review and sign the care contract

Build a network:

• Identify 3–5 emergency contacts
• Leave a key with a trusted person
• Join a parent network or single parent group
• Build neighbourhood help
• Consider SRK home childcare as an option

Self-care:

• Plan fixed breaks per week
• Know about counselling services (SVAMV, Caritas, Pro Juventute, parenting advice)
• Regularly reflect on your own wellbeing

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FAQ: Common Questions from Single Parents

Do I automatically get subsidies for daycare as a single parent?

No, not automatically. You must actively apply for childcare vouchers or subsidies at your municipality of residence. However, as a single parent with low to middle income, you generally have very good chances of a substantial discount. Income thresholds vary by canton and municipality. It's best to contact the Social Affairs or Youth and Family department of your municipality and bring your current tax assessment.

Do I need to be working to receive childcare vouchers?

In most municipalities, a minimum employment level (often 20%) is required. However, there are important exceptions: if you are in education, registered as job-seeking with the RAV, or participating in an integration programme, you are often treated equally. Some municipalities also grant single parents so-called bridging vouchers that enable you to enter employment. Make sure to ask about these options.

What do I do if the other parent doesn't pay child support?

You are entitled to advance maintenance payments from your municipality of residence. The authority pays you the amount set in the court ruling or maintenance agreement (up to a cantonal maximum) monthly and recovers the money from the parent liable for payment. Important: Submit the application immediately when payments stop — not months later. You'll need the divorce decree or maintenance agreement and proof of outstanding payments.

Can I combine daycare and a day-care family?

Yes, many families — and especially single parents — use a combination of different types of care. For example, three days of daycare and one day with a day-care family, supplemented by grandparent care. Childcare vouchers can generally be used for various recognised forms of care. Make sure that all facilities you wish to use are recognised as eligible for subsidies by the municipality.

Where can I find advice and support as a single parent?

The most important contact points in Switzerland are:

• SVAMV (Swiss Association of Single Mothers and Fathers): Counselling, regional groups, legal advice
• Pro Juventute Parenting Advice (Phone 058 261 61 61): Free advice around the clock
• Caritas Switzerland: Social counselling, financial support
• SRK Home Childcare: Emergency childcare in case of illness or crisis
• Mother and Father Counselling in your municipality: Free support in the first year of life and beyond
• Municipal Social Services: For financial questions and eligibility assessments

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Related Guide Articles

Here you'll find more useful articles on childcare and family finances:

• Daycare Costs in Switzerland 2026 — What you really pay
• Subsidies for Childcare — What your municipality covers
• Applying for Childcare Vouchers — Step-by-step guide
• Deducting Childcare from Your Taxes — Tax tips for families
• Return to Work After Maternity Leave — How to plan your career re-entry
• Separation & Divorce: What Changes with Childcare? — Legal and practical tips
• Child Sick: When Can They Go to Daycare? — Rules and rights
• Finding a Daycare Place: How to Succeed — The complete search guide

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Find Suitable Childcare Now

Are you a single parent looking for a childcare place for your child? On kizi.ch you'll find daycares, playgroups, and day-care families near you — with information on available places, opening hours, and subsidy eligibility.

Search for a childcare place now

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Sources: Federal Statistical Office (BFS) — Families in Switzerland, Statistical Report 2024; Swiss Association of Single Mothers and Fathers (SVAMV); Conference of Cantonal Directors of Social Affairs (SODK); kibesuisse — Swiss Childcare Association; Federal Law on Family Allowances (FamZG). As of: February 2026.