Daycare costs penalise working parents

For many families in Switzerland, the monthly childcare bill eats up a considerable proportion of their income. On average, 35 per cent of an income - in no other country in the world do parents have to pay such a high proportion of their income for supplementary childcare as in Switzerland.

«Switzerland must be a country where gainful employment is also worthwhile for middle-class families and especially for women,» says Olivia Kühni from Alliance F, the Federation of Swiss Women's Organisations.

Daycare centre costs are not an individual matter

The main problem is that childcare costs are seen as an individual problem in this country. «Those who can afford it are fine, those who can't are just out of luck. That's the widespread political attitude. But it shouldn't be an individual matter. Neither in the interests of society nor the economy,» says Kühni.

The National Council has now taken action in the spring: It wants the federal government to cover 20 per cent of daycare costs for working parents in future. This will relieve the burden on families directly and where it really makes a difference. However, the bill is in danger of failing in the Council of States.

The responsible WBK-S committee is avoiding the issue: Instead of making a direct and efficient contribution to parents' daycare costs, employers are to be obliged to pay higher family allowances.

A lot is expected of mothers today. At the same time, refusing to create appropriate framework conditions is cynical and incoherent.

Olivia Kühni, Alliance F

«For many families, this would be little more than a drop in the ocean,» says Kühni, adding: «Instead of relieving the burden on working people, the aim is to impose a further bureaucratic and financial burden on the economy and the labour force. With devastating consequences for families: because companies will at least partially offset the levies with lower wages. We want to prevent this.»

Wrong signals to working mothers

In recent years, the federal government has repeatedly signalled to women that they are expected to be economically independent. For example, the Federal Court has adjusted maintenance payments following divorce, the AHV retirement age has been harmonised with that of men, and the Federal Council recently announced a reform of widows' pensions that no longer guarantees women a lifelong pension after the death of their partner.

«A lot is expected of women today, especially mothers. If you then refuse to create the appropriate framework conditions at the same time - arguing that it's a private matter - that's cynical and incoherent,» says Olivia Kühni.

For the middle class, there is also a pitfall that deters many mothers from continuing to work: «If the second income is just enough to cover the daycare costs, it's hardly worth returning to work.»