Hello,

I was wandering if I should try to find a Tagesmutter long before the date I need her. Do you have any experience with this? I will need full week care for my baby (he's one month old now) next year in the early autumn, and now I am applying to daycare centers, but I am not too optimistic, all say that there are no places available
So now I think of a childminder... but I don't understand, should I find one before the date - and how long before the date... is it worth doing it in advance??
Also, as far as I understand, I should go to the townhall to find a childminder from an association. Do you have any idea can do it from the Mutterberatung ?
It is all very confusing.
I tried to find something in the englishforum, but I couldn't find much information in the threads. I will appreciate very much any info / suggestions!!
Regards, Alis

My son and his wife started looking for a child-minder (three days a week) more than two months ago. D-in-Law going back to work in January.
It has taken them most of that time to inteview and chose someone they felt happy with.
They got an approved list of qualified people from their local Mairie (Town Hall) and then worked their way down the list.
They're in Geneva but I'm sure the system is similar in Zurich. Someone will be along in a minute with more local help!

A

I would ask here: http://www.tagesfamilien.ch/default.aspx?tabid=157 or here (this is the direct link to the organisation responsible for Zurich) http://www.gfz-zh.ch/ (and no, I don't work for them) and here are some answers to questions you may have: http://www.tagesfamilien.ch/default....SelectedLink=6

You need to contact the tageselternverein in the area - just google it and you'll find the links. There is usually a registration fee to put you on the list and then they will search for someone. But to be honest I doubt a childminder would be planning that far ahead, but you never know.

It also very much depends on your area. We applied for a tagesmutter in January for my son who was starting school in August this year. They had nobody and then finally found someone in I think it was October (forgotten now). We tried her for a couple of weeks but it didn't work out (she was a smoker and hadn't declared it - that's entirely another story!) since then they have not found us anyone else. And we are only asking for 2 afternoons a week.

Childminders who work "full time" as in taking a child 5 days a week I think are pretty rare. I'm not optimistic for you I'm afraid, but you never know, I may be wrong.

Thank you very much for the replies! The interviewing process is something I haven't thought of... And indeed 5 days a week is a lot. Now I am thinking of 4 days and a babysitter or daycare for 1-2 days, perhaps that would be easier to arrange.

We're in Canton Bern and when we registered for a crèche place we were given a form with the choices of the nurseries in the town or for Tagesmutter. We had to rank them in order of preference. We were on the waiting list for 11 and a half months before we got offered a place at our second choice crèche. So, I would say it's never too early to start looking. I'm hoping to go back to work next autumn and have already registered this one (due in March) so hopefully they'll be able to go to the same nursery.