Finding a childcare place
ETH Zurich provides financial assistance for places in childcare provided by the external pagekihz Foundation or by daycare facilities in the university area. We advise parents to enrol their children in other daycare centres too, for example close to their residence.
Conditions for obtaining a childcare place at kihz or daycare facilities in the university area
- The parents must be gainfully employed.
- A recognised training scheme or unemployment within the limits of employability are deemed to be equivalent to gainful employment.
- A regular voluntary work is deemed to be equivalent to gainful employment.
- The attendance (min. 20h/week) of a language school (German course) by the unemployed parent is deemed to be equivalent to gainful employment.
- The child's linguistic integration is deemed to be an entitlement for a childcare place, even if the second parent is unemployed.
- The sum of both parents’ level of employment must be at least 140%.
- The minimum time for a child to spend in childcare is two days (this can be split into half-day sessions except at the KIKRI ETH Zentrum daycare centre).
- The amount of childcare provided must be appropriately proportionate to the parents’ level of employment. The entitlement to care is calculated on the basis of the sum of both parents’ level of employment minus 100%.
kihz Foundation
Parents must complete the online application form for the kihz Foundation. The foundation’s administration team receives the application and external pagechecks whether the conditions have been met. The data are recorded and the parents receive confirmation of their application. The kihz Foundation then searches for a childcare place. If a place is available, the parents are given a specific period of time in which to decide whether or not to take it.
external pageVacant childcare places at the kihz Foundation
Association of Childcare Facilities in the University Area
Applications for the KIKRI ETH Zentrum KIKRI ETH Zentrum daycare centre are submitted by completing a PDF form. A PDF form also needs to be completed to apply for a place at the Irchel crèche/kindergarten external pageIrchel crèche/kindergarten.
Parents can use the external pageCity of Zurich's search platform (German) to look for available places in daycare facilities and find information about the city’s playgroups and toddler groups. Parents can contact their chosen daycare facility directly, where they will be given further information about the application process.
The Swiss childcare association external pageKibesuisse, has an extensive list of daycare facilities categorised by region. You may also be able to find your chosen daycare facility by using an online search function.
Information - childcare
ETH employees who are located in Basel may refer to the following pages for information about childcare places:
- Find a childcare place in the canton/city of external pageBasel-Stadt (German)
- Childcare in the canton of external pageBaselland (German)
- The Downloadinformation sheet (PDF, 89 KB) on childcare in Basel provides an overview of the services in Basel.
- external pageCalculate daycare costs (parental contribution) (German)
Leisure and holidays
To ETH employees who work at the CSCS, the Downloadinformation sheet (PDF, 90 KB) on childcare in Ticino provides an overview of the services in the canton of Ticino.
