Bringing Up Toddlers in Geneva

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Bringing Up Toddlers in Geneva

From birth to young adulthood, this page contains useful information for parents and children in Geneva.

• For information specifically on the education system and schools see AngloINFO INFOrmation Page on Education & Schooling in Geneva, Switzerland.

Birth

• See AngloINFO INFOrmation page on Having a Baby in Geneva, Switzerland.

After the birth, mothers stay in the hospital or clinic for up to seven days, and once the mother and child return home, a nurse makes home visits to check on their health. Breastfeeding is actively encouraged in Switzerland and if necessary the nurse can offer advice or assistance with breastfeeding.

Insurance cover is required by the time an infant is three months old so parents should contact their insurance company as soon as possible after the birth. Certain parents may qualify for a child allowance from their employer, so they must also be informed as soon as possible as well.

Adoption

Geneva has an adoption office which provides information on adoption and international adoption for potential parents.

• Bureau Genevois d'Adoption
  At: 72 boulevard St Georges, 1205 Geneva
  Tel: +41 (0)22 731 05 01
  Fax: +41 (0)22 731 05 10
  e-mail
  Website

Children's Health

Vaccinations

Vaccination policy is decided at a cantonal level in Switzerland. Each individual canton determines which vaccinations are obligatory and some give them free of charge.

The only obligatory vaccination in Geneva is diphtheria (vaccine anti diphtérique) while in the cantons of Vaud, Neuchâtel and Valais there are no obligatory vaccinations.

However, most doctors do recommend the combined vaccinations for Diphtheria, Tetanus, Polio, Whooping cough (coqueluche) and Haemophilus influenza.

Children's Hospitals and Emergencies

Most hospitals have a children's ward, but there are also hospitals in Geneva devoted entirely to children and their ailments.

• See The AngloFILE for Hospitals & Health Centres
• See AngloINFO INFOrmation page on Emergency Telephone numbers in Geneva, Switzerland

Children's Road Safety

Children under the age of seven must be seated in the rear of the car and approved child seats are compulsory. Children aged seven to twelve must have seat belts and restraints adapted to their size whether travelling in the front or the back of the car. All passengers must wear seatbelts whatever their age.

Childcare & Nursery Education

Provision of childcare in Switzerland is managed almost completly by each individual canton. Small children can be looked after in a variety of ways: by childminders, in crèches, playgroups or day nurseries or private day care mothers (mamans de jour). The facilities are sometimes run by the communes and frequently by private organisations.

Information on the options are available are available from social services of the relevant commune (Départements des affaires sociales ou de la jeunesse or Socialdienst).

Geneva has an office to help parents choose the right day care for their children. It registers requests for day care for all the organisations.

• Bureau d'Information Petite Enfance (BIPE)
  At: 8 rue du Cendrier, 1201 Geneva
  Tel: +41 (0)22 321 22 23
  Open: Monday to Friday from 13:00-18:00

The Bureau d'Information in Lausanne can provide lists of day care institutions in Lausanne.

• Bureau d'Information Aux Parents (BIP)
  At: 9 Place Chauderon, 1002 Lausanne
  Tel: +41 (0)21 315 60 00
• For addresses and contact details for crèches, nurseries and Halte-Garderies in the Geneva canton: Click here
• See The Anglofile category Infants & Babies for links to child care and baby sitters and more.

Nurseries/Crèches

A crèche is a day care facility for the children of working parents and provides a pre-school educational programme. Part-time crèches are also available. In general they are open from 07:30-18:30 from Monday to Friday. The cost will depend on the parent's income.

Places in crèche are in high demand so it is best to book a place as early as possible. Children are usually accepted up to the age of four.

Kindergarten

While kindergarten is not obligatory throughout Switzerland although most children do attend for a year or two. One year's attendance is complusory in the canton of Geneva but most children do go for one or two years. Kindergartens take children from the age of four onwards. They are the responsibility of the school authorities (or the local administration) of the communes.

Out and About with Toddlers

Geneva has a number of child friendly parks and playgrounds. The Geneva Tourist Information Office has a full list of all the playgrounds in Geneva and their facilities

• Geneva Tourist Information Office
  At: 1 Pont de la Machine, 1204 Geneva
  Tel: +41 (0)22 311 99 70

Some shopping centres offer babysitting services for small children and toddlers.

During school holidays and the summer months there are many temporary amusement parks and fairgrounds. Outdoor swimming pools often have separate pools for toddlers.

Further Information

• Genevefamille: Website providing information to families on childcare, health, schooling and much more
• Service de Protection de la Jeunesse: Provides services in the interests of children and family life
  At: 8 rue Adrien Lachenal,, 1207 Geneva
  Tel: +41 (0)22 327 64 00
• SOS Enfants: Help for children and adolescents
• Childhood Protection