Table of Contents

The staff shortage in childcare is one of the greatest challenges for daycare operators in Switzerland. Open positions remain unfilled for months, qualified applicants are scarce, and turnover strains operations. Whether you want to find new daycare staff or retain existing daycare employees — this article provides concrete solutions. In this comprehensive guide, we show you how, as a daycare owner or manager, you can find good staff despite a difficult market, become an attractive employer, and retain your team in the long term.

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Table of Contents

1. Current Situation: Facts and Figures
2. Why Professionals Leave the Sector
3. Recruiting Strategies: Where to Find Professionals
4. Becoming an Attractive Employer
5. Salary Benchmark: What Daycares Pay in Switzerland
6. 10 Measures Against Turnover
7. Becoming a Training Provider: Training FaBe Apprentices
8. Integrating Career Changers
9. Team Culture: Why Atmosphere Matters More Than Salary
10. CLA for Social Care: What Applies to Daycares?
11. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
12. Conclusion & Next Steps

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Current Situation: Facts and Figures on the Staff Shortage {#aktuelle-lage}

The Swiss childcare sector is in a genuine personnel crisis. Demand for daycare places has been rising for years, yet the supply of qualified professionals has not kept pace.

Key Figures

Indicator	Value	Source
Open positions in childcare (CH)	approx. 4,000–5,000 per year	SAVOIRSOCIAL
Career exit rate within 5 years of FaBe qualification	approx. 50%	National Supply Report
Average tenure of a professional in a daycare	3–4 years	kibesuisse industry survey
Proportion of daycares with recruitment difficulties	over 70%	SAVOIRSOCIAL Industry Monitor
FaBe EFZ qualifications per year	approx. 3,600	SERI Education Statistics
Demand for professionals by 2030 (forecast)	approx. 10,000 additional	SAVOIRSOCIAL

The topic of daycare staff shortages doesn't only affect large cities — rural regions also struggle with open positions, sometimes even more so, because the willingness to commute to urban centres is high.

What Drives the Shortage?

• Rising demand: The employment rate of mothers is continuously increasing. The political discussion around the Daycare Initiative is intensifying expansion pressure.
• Too few training places: Although the FaBe apprenticeship is popular, the number of graduates is not enough to meet demand.
• High career exit rate: Around half of trained professionals leave the sector within a few years.
• Demographic change: The baby boomer generation is retiring, and there aren't enough young professionals to replace them.

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Why Professionals Leave the Sector {#warum-fachpersonen-gehen}

If you want to combat the staff shortage, you first need to understand why qualified people leave childcare. The reasons are varied — and not always purely financial.

The Most Common Reasons for Leaving

1. Low wages relative to the workload: The median salary for a FaBe EFZ is CHF 4,600. Compared with similarly demanding professions in healthcare or administration, this is low.

2. High physical and mental strain: Noise levels, constant attention, heavy lifting, emotional work with children and parents — the profession is physically and mentally demanding.

3. Lack of appreciation: Many professionals report that their work is not sufficiently recognised by society. The comment "You just play with children" cuts deep.

4. Limited career prospects: Without an HF diploma or further training, advancement opportunities are limited. The classic career ladder is short in many daycares.

5. Staff-to-child ratios at the limit: Too few staff for too many children leads to chronic stress. Quality suffers, and with it job satisfaction.

6. Inflexible working hours: Early shifts from 6:30, late shifts until 18:30, little room for part-time models — this doesn't fit well with staff's own family planning.

7. Conflicts with management or within the team: Poor leadership is one of the most common reasons for resignation, not just in childcare.

Insight: Many of these reasons are within your control as a daycare manager. You can't eliminate them all, but you can be better than average on every point.

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Recruiting Strategies: Where to Find Professionals {#recruiting-strategien}

The classic job ad on jobs.ch is no longer enough if you want to find daycare staff. You need to recruit more actively, creatively, and visibly.

1. Specialist Job Boards

Platform	Target group	Cost
sozjobs.ch	Social sector (incl. childcare)	From CHF 350 / listing
kibesuisse job board	Daycares, day-care families	Free for members
educajob.ch	Education sector	Variable
jobs.ch / jobscout24.ch	General	From CHF 500 / listing
LinkedIn	Specialists and managers	From CHF 0 (organic)
kizi.ch (provider profile)	Parents & professionals in the region	Create profile

2. Training Providers as a Talent Pipeline

The best long-term recruiting strategy: become a training provider yourself. FaBe apprentices who complete their training with you know your facility, your team, your values. The retention rate is significantly higher than with external applications (more on this in the training provider section).

3. Actively Targeting Career Changers

People from related professions bring valuable skills:

• Teachers (kindergarten, primary school) looking for a change of scenery
• Nursing professionals seeking a less clinical environment
• Social educators with an interest in the early childhood phase
• Mothers and fathers with years of parenting experience
• People with a migration background who already have care experience from their country of origin

More on integrating career changers in the career changers section.

4. Social Media Recruiting

You won't reach Generation Z professionals with traditional job ads. Use:

• Instagram: Show daycare life authentically. Stories with the team, behind-the-scenes insights into projects
• TikTok: Short, funny, or touching clips from daycare life can go viral
• Facebook groups: Local parent and professional groups in your area

5. Networking and Word of Mouth

• Employee referral programme: Reward referrals with CHF 500–1,000 upon successful hire
• Partnerships with training schools: Offer internship places, give guest lectures
• Professional associations: Presence at conferences and events by kibesuisse, SAVOIRSOCIAL, or the SSLV

6. Your Employer Profile on kizi.ch

A complete, professional provider profile on kizi.ch shows not only parents but also potential employees what your daycare stands for. Use the profile to showcase your pedagogical concept, your team, and your values.

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Becoming an Attractive Employer: What Professionals Really Want {#attraktiver-arbeitgeber}

You can't compete with pharmaceutical industry salaries — your applicants know that too. But you can score in areas that are at least as important to many professionals as the salary.

What Professionals Want (Priority Order)

1. Appreciation and respect — being heard, taken seriously, receiving feedback
2. Good staff-to-child ratio — enough colleagues to work with quality
3. Fair pay — market-rate, transparent, with development prospects
4. Flexible working time models — part-time without career disadvantage, preferred roster
5. Continuing education opportunities — paid, during working hours, with advancement prospects
6. Good team culture — cohesion, humour, mutual support
7. Professional management — clear communication, fair conflict resolution, role model function
8. Pedagogical creative freedom — being able to contribute and implement own ideas
9. Modern infrastructure — functional premises, sufficient materials, digital tools
10. Health promotion — noise protection, ergonomic furniture, supervision

Concrete Measures That Cost Little

• Team breakfast once a week (cost: approx. CHF 20)
• Birthday card and small gift for every employee
• Staff meetings twice a year — structured, appreciative, with goal agreements
• Team outing once a year (budget: CHF 50–100 per person)
• Decision-making participation in room design, project planning, menu planning
• Break room just for the team — a retreat without children

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Salary Benchmark: What Daycares Pay in Switzerland {#lohnbenchmark}

Transparency on salaries is a competitive advantage. Those who pay fairly and communicate this openly win trust — from employees and applicants alike.

Salary Table by Qualification (Gross salary per month, 13th month salary included)

Qualification	Entry salary	Experienced professional	Management function
FaBe EFZ (Federal Certificate of Competence)	CHF 4,200–4,600	CHF 4,600–5,000	—
Dipl. Early Childhood Educator HF	CHF 5,500–5,800	CHF 5,800–6,500	CHF 6,500–7,500
Group leader (HF or FaBe with further training)	—	CHF 5,200–5,800	—
Daycare manager (HF + leadership experience)	—	—	CHF 6,500–8,000
Intern / pre-apprenticeship	CHF 600–1,200	—	—
FaBe apprentice (years 1–3)	CHF 750–1,350	—	—
Assistant (without EFZ)	CHF 3,600–4,200	CHF 4,000–4,500	—

As of: February 2026. Salaries vary by region (Zurich/Geneva tend to be higher), facility size, and subsidisation. Source: CLA for Social Care, SAVOIRSOCIAL salary recommendations, kibesuisse.

Regional Differences

Region	Salary level (tendency)
Zurich, Zug, Basel-Stadt	Above average (+5–10%)
Bern, Lucerne, St. Gallen	Average
Rural cantons (TG, SH, AI/AR, GL)	Below average (-5–10%)
Western Switzerland (GE, VD, NE)	Slightly above average
Ticino	Below average

Don't Forget Payroll Add-On Costs

As an employer, you pay the following on top of the gross salary:

Contribution	Employer share
AHV/IV/EO	5.3%
ALV	1.1%
BVG (pension fund)	approx. 5–7% (depending on the fund)
UVG occupational accident	approx. 0.5–1.5%
UVG non-occupational accident	approx. 1–2%
Daily sickness benefit (KTG)	approx. 0.5–1%
Family allowances	approx. 1–3% (canton-dependent)
Total payroll add-ons	approx. 15–20%

Calculation example: A FaBe EFZ with a gross salary of CHF 4,800 effectively costs you as an employer approx. CHF 5,500–5,800 per month.

When calculating your rates, be sure to factor in these add-on costs. More on this in our guide Starting a Daycare in Switzerland.

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10 Measures Against Turnover {#massnahmen-gegen-fluktuation}

Finding staff is one thing — keeping them is another. These ten measures will help you reduce turnover in your daycare:

1. Structured Onboarding

The first 90 days are decisive. Create an induction plan with a mentor, feedback meetings at 2, 6, and 12 weeks, and a welcome pack with all essential information.

2. Fair and Transparent Pay Policy

Publish your salary system openly. Define clear levels based on training, experience, and function. Annual salary reviews are mandatory, not optional.

3. Guarantee a Continuing Education Budget

Invest at least CHF 1,000–2,000 per employee per year in continuing education. Pay course fees and grant paid training days. This signals: "We invest in you."

4. Flexible Working Time Models

• Enable part-time positions from 60% without career disadvantage
• Offer annual working hours so employees can distribute hours flexibly
• Accommodate preferences in roster planning — a preferred-roster system reduces frustration

5. Regular Team Supervision

External supervision every 6–8 weeks helps identify conflicts early, strengthen team dynamics, and address individual burdens. Cost: approx. CHF 200–300 per session.

6. Workplace Health Promotion

• Noise protection: Acoustic panels, carpets, quiet retreat areas
• Ergonomics: Adult-sized chairs at the dining table, not just children's chairs
• Breaks: Enforce genuine breaks — not "tidying up on the side"
• Mental health: Offer access to psychological counselling (e.g. via EAP programmes)

7. Create Career Prospects

Not every career has to go "upwards." Also offer horizontal development:

• Professional specialisation: Language support, nature pedagogy, inclusion
• Project leadership: Parent evenings, events, room design
• Mentor for apprentices: Becoming a practice trainer
• Deputy management: Gradual leadership responsibility

8. Involve Employees

Involve your team in decisions: Which pedagogical project do we implement? How do we design the outdoor area? Which continuing education do you want? Participation creates identification.

9. Actively Cultivate the Working Climate

• Address conflicts immediately — don't let them fester
• Introduce team rituals: Monday kick-off meeting, Friday wrap-up, shared lunch
• Give positive feedback at least 3 times more often than critical feedback
• Cultivate humour — laughter connects people

10. Conduct Exit Interviews

When someone leaves, ask honestly about the reasons. Exit interviews provide the most valuable insights into where you can improve as an employer. Document the findings and derive measures.

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Becoming a Training Provider: Training FaBe Apprentices {#ausbildungsbetrieb}

The most sustainable solution to the staff shortage: train your future employees yourself.

Requirements

To train FaBe apprentices in the childcare specialisation, you need:

• Accreditation as a training provider from the cantonal vocational training office
• At least one qualified vocational trainer (vocational trainer course, 100 hours + certificate or HF diploma)
• Sufficient space and care diversity (different age groups, enough group work)
• Structured education plan according to the FaBe training ordinance (BiVo)

FaBe Childcare Apprenticeship Structure

Apprenticeship year	Focus	Apprentice salary (guideline)
Year 1	Fundamentals, observing, accompanying	CHF 750–850
Year 2	Independent work, planning	CHF 950–1,050
Year 3	Responsibility, reflection, exam preparation	CHF 1,200–1,350

Why It's Worth It

• Retention rate: Approx. 40–60% of apprentices stay with the company after completing their training
• Cultural fit: Apprentices grow into your team and your values
• Staff development: Vocational trainers grow through the task themselves
• Image: As a training provider, you are visible and respected in the region
• Cost-benefit: From the 2nd year of apprenticeship, apprentices contribute productively

Contact and Registration

Contact the vocational training office in your canton. Information on FaBe training can be found at SAVOIRSOCIAL and SERI.

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Integrating Career Changers {#quereinsteiger}

Given the staff shortage, career changers are an important personnel pool. Switzerland offers various pathways to recognise professional experience from other fields.

Validation of Prior Learning

The "Validation of Prior Learning" procedure allows adults to obtain a federal qualification (EFZ) without completing the regular apprenticeship. Prerequisites:

• At least 5 years of professional experience (of which at least 2 years in the field)
• Demonstration of required competencies through a portfolio and examination
• Guidance from a recognised validation centre

Shortened Apprenticeship for Adults (Art. 32 BBV)

Adults with relevant practical experience can shorten the apprenticeship by 1–2 years. Combined with employment as an assistant carer, this is an attractive model.

Adult Catch-Up Training for FaBe

Various cantons offer specific programmes:

Canton	Programme	Duration
Zurich	Adult education FaBe at BZZ	2 years, part-time
Bern	Catch-up training FaBe at BFF	2 years, part-time
Lucerne	Validation FaBe via SAVOIRSOCIAL	Individual
Basel-Stadt	Catch-up training AGS/BFS	2 years

What You Can Do as an Employer

• Hire career changers as assistants and support their training
• Cover part of the training costs — this binds the person to your organisation
• Offer mentoring by experienced professionals
• Value life experience — career changers bring diversity and fresh perspectives

Tip: Ask your canton about funding contributions for catch-up training. Many cantons support employers who train career changers.

Further information on licensing requirements for care staff can be found in our separate guide.

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Team Culture: Why Atmosphere Matters More Than Salary {#team-kultur}

Studies consistently show: team culture is the most important factor for job satisfaction in childcare — even more important than salary.

What Makes a Good Team Culture?

Psychological safety: Employees dare to admit mistakes, ask questions, and voice criticism without fear of negative consequences.

Clear roles and responsibilities: Everyone knows what's expected of them. Grey areas and overlapping responsibilities create conflicts.

Open communication: Regular team meetings (weekly, not just monthly!), transparent decision-making, active listening.

Shared values: What matters to you as a team? What image of the child guides you? A collectively developed mission statement provides orientation.

Learning culture instead of blame culture: When something goes wrong, ask: "What can we learn from this?" instead of "Who's to blame?"

5 Concrete Steps to a Better Team Culture

1. Team development day once a year — externally facilitated, outside the daycare, combining fun and depth
2. Regular one-on-one conversations — not just when there are problems, but also for praise and listening
3. Joint continuing education — the team learns together, grows together
4. Build a feedback culture — structured (e.g. "I-message" training) and regular
5. Celebrate: Successes, anniversaries, completions, small milestones — celebrations cost little and achieve a lot

The Link Between Culture and Quality

A good team culture benefits not only your staff — it directly affects care quality. Satisfied professionals are more attentive, creative, and empathetic. Parents sense this. Children sense this. And on platforms like kizi.ch, satisfied teams are visible — through good reviews and a convincing profile.

Also read our guide Recognising Daycare Quality from the parent perspective to understand what parents look for when choosing a daycare.

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CLA for Social Care: What Applies to Daycares? {#gav-sozialbetreuung}

The Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) for the social care sector sets minimum standards for working conditions in childcare. However: not all daycares are covered by the CLA.

Who Does the CLA for Social Care Apply To?

The CLA for Social Care (childcare section) applies if it has been declared generally binding in your canton. The situation currently varies greatly:

• Cantons with a generally binding CLA or comparable regulations: Zurich, Basel-Stadt, Geneva, Vaud (with canton-specific adaptations)
• Cantons without a generally binding CLA: In many cantons, there is no binding CLA — the general provisions of the Code of Obligations (CO) apply instead

Key CLA Provisions (Guide Values)

Topic	CLA regulation (guide value)
Minimum wage FaBe EFZ	approx. CHF 4,200 (canton-dependent)
Working hours	42 hours/week
Holidays	4 weeks (under 20: 5 weeks, from 50: 5 weeks)
13th month salary	Yes
Continuing education	At least 3 paid days per year
Maternity leave	14 weeks at 80% salary (statutory minimum)
Paternity leave	2 weeks at 80% salary (statutory minimum)
Notice period	1–3 months (depending on years of service)
Daily sickness benefit	80% for 720 days

What Does This Mean for You?

• Check whether a CLA applies in your canton — ask the cantonal labour inspectorate or kibesuisse
• If no CLA applies: Still follow the CLA guideline wages — it makes you competitive as an employer
• Document everything: Employment contracts, regulations, pay policy — properly and in writing

More on the legal framework in our guide Insurance for Childcare Providers.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) {#faq}

How do I find staff at short notice when a professional is absent?

Build a pool of relief staff — retired professionals, social work or pedagogy students, former employees. Maintain the relationship and regularly ask about availability. Some cantons also maintain referral lists for temporary staff. Alternatively, a good network with neighbouring daycares that help each other out during shortages is invaluable.

Am I allowed to hire staff without an EFZ or HF diploma?

Yes, under certain conditions. The licensing authority in your canton prescribes a minimum proportion of trained staff (usually at least 50% with a recognised qualification). Assistants without a qualification may be employed in a supplementary capacity but should not care for children unsupervised. Check the requirements with the relevant supervisory authority in your canton and read our guide on licensing requirements.

What does a job listing cost on common platforms?

Costs vary: on sozjobs.ch you pay from approx. CHF 350, on jobs.ch from approx. CHF 500 per listing for 30 days. LinkedIn offers free job listings with limited reach. The kibesuisse job board is often free for members. Don't forget to also use free channels such as social media, notices at training schools, and your personal network.

How can I improve the staff-to-child ratio without blowing the budget?

Use a mix of trained staff, apprentices, and assistants. Apprentices and interns relieve the team and cost less than fully trained professionals. Also check whether you can apply for subsidies linked to a specific staff-to-child ratio — in many municipalities, a good ratio is financially rewarded.

How do I conduct a good interview for daycare professionals?

Don't just ask knowledge questions — work with case scenarios: "A child cries every morning at drop-off — what do you do?" Invite applicants for a trial day. Observe how they interact with children and the team. And: sell yourself as an employer too. Show what makes your daycare special.

How do I apply for recognition as a training provider?

Contact the vocational training office in your canton. You need a qualified vocational trainer (with a completed trainer course), a structured education plan, and sufficient diversity in the care routine. Accreditation is usually verified on-site. The process takes 2–4 months.

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Conclusion & Next Steps {#fazit}

The staff shortage in childcare won't disappear overnight. But as a daycare operator, you have more levers than you might think:

• Short-term: Diversify recruiting channels, optimise job listings, activate your network
• Medium-term: Improve working conditions, make pay policy transparent, strengthen team culture
• Long-term: Become a training provider, support career changers, build an employer brand that speaks for itself

The most important thing: Invest in the people you already have. Satisfied daycare employees stay longer, recommend you to others, and do better work. The children sense it, the parents sense it — and word gets around.

Your Next Steps

1. Analyse your current situation: How high is your turnover? Why do employees leave?
2. Implement 2–3 measures from this article immediately
3. Create or optimise your provider profile on kizi.ch — to become visible to parents and professionals alike
4. Read our related guides:
   • Starting a Daycare in Switzerland — The Complete Guide
   • Insurance for Childcare Providers
   • Licensing Requirements: What Applies?
   • Recognising Daycare Quality

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Sources: SAVOIRSOCIAL Industry Monitor for Social Care, kibesuisse recommendations, State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), Swiss Conference of Cantonal Directors of Education (EDK), Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO), CLA for Social Care. As of: February 2026.