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CHILDREN

What is emergency childcare in Switzerland and how do I access it?

If for some reason you need someone to take care of your kids at short notice in Switzerland, one option is emergency care. Here's what you need to know.

Published: 4 August 2021 12:50 CEST
What is emergency childcare in Switzerland and how do I access it?
Photo by Markus Spiske from Unsplash

Experiencing an emergency can be difficult even in your home town where you know which numbers to call and what to do. 

But if you are abroad, it can be particularly difficult. 

READ MORE: Nine Swiss phone numbers you should never forget

For parents, this can be particularly difficult and challenging. 

If for some reason you need someone to take care of your kids at short notice, one option is emergency care. 

As Swiss people have a proud record of planning, emergency childcare is not to be used if you forget to organise a childminder at short notice or if you need to rush out and see a show. 

Emergency care is reserved for sudden illness, accidents or even death and is used to “bridge the gap until the situation has calmed down”. 

Emergency carers will usually be available within a few hours of a phone call, but will be ready within 24 hours at the latest. 

The Red Cross list several reasons for emergency care, including “Illness, accident or convalescence (time of healing after illness) of the caring parent, exhaustion (e.g. after giving birth), exceptional situations such as crises in the family Illness or accident of a carer (e.g. grandparents, childminder) and urgent appointments (court appointment, police interrogations)”

Emergency care is offered by the Swiss Red Cross in Zurich and is also offered by the Red Cross in other cantons such as Basel. In Bern, this is administered by the cantonal authorities. 

In Geneva, this service is provided by the YMCA, while there are also two emergency creches that can be contacted here. 

Please click on the links for more information. 

If you have ongoing health issues, emergency care organisations can help you provide longer-term solutions. 

You can also donate to the Red Cross emergency care facilities anonymously here. 

What does it cost? 

Again, it is important to reiterate that this does not take the place of regular childcare but is focused on urgent and emergency situations. 

If you are looking for general childcare information, click the following link. 

READ MORE: How to save money on childcare in Switzerland

This means that it is somewhat subsidised. 

While parents will be asked to make a financial contribution, the program is also funded by the Office for Youth and Careers Advice of the Canton of Zurich, the Social Department of the City of Zurich and the SRK Canton of Zurich.

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ENERGY

EXPLAINED: How high will heating bills be this winter in Germany?

The cost of energy is expected to rise again this coming winter, even though the government's price cap is supposed to be in effect until April 2024. Here's what households can expect.

Published: 31 October 2023 10:31 CET
Updated: 5 November 2023 22:45 CET
EXPLAINED: How high will heating bills be this winter in Germany?

The onset of winter will raise concerns for many in Germany about the cost of heating their homes, with memories of last year’s rocketing prices and concerns over domestic gas supply resurfacing. 

But, compared to last year, the energy prices have now largely stabilised, though they are still higher than in 2021.

The stabilisation in prices is partly thanks to the government’s energy price cap which came into force earlier this year to cushion the blow of soaring energy prices by capping electricity costs at 40 cents per kilowatt-hour and natural gas at 12 cents.

READ ALSO: Germany looks to extend energy price cap until April 2024

The federal government plans to maintain this cap until the end of April, though this could be extended even longer, if necessary. 

How high are heating costs expected to go this year?

For the current year, experts from co2online expect somewhat lower heating costs than last year.

Heating with gas, for example, is expected to be 11 percent cheaper in 2023 than in 2022, costing €1,310 per year for a flat of 70 square metres. 

The cost of heating with wood pellets will drop by 17 percent to €870 per year, and heating with heating oil will cost 19 percent less and amount to €1,130.

According to co2online, the costs for heating with a heat pump will drop the most – by 20 percent to €1,1105. The reason for this, according to co2online, is a wider range of heat pump electricity tariffs.

Tax hikes in January

Starting January next year, the government will raise the value-added tax on natural gas from seven to nineteen percent.

Alongside this, the CO2 price, applicable when refuelling and heating, will also increase.

According to energy expert Thomas Engelke from the Federal Consumer Association, these increases will mean that a small single-family household with three or four people that heats with gas would then pay about €240 more per year for gas.

“That’s a lot”, he said. 

Another additional cost factor to consider is that network operators also want to raise prices. However, the federal government plans to allocate €5.5 billion to cushion this increase for consumers as much as possible, so how such cost increases will ultimately affect consumers is currently hard to estimate.

READ ALSO: Why people in Germany are being advised to switch energy suppliers

Overall, it can be said that, from January, consumers will have to brace themselves for higher energy costs, even though massive increases are currently not expected.

Consumer advocate Engelke advised customers to closely examine where potential savings could be made this upcoming winter: “Those who are now signing a new gas or electricity contract should inform themselves and possibly switch. Currently, you can save a few hundred euros. It’s worth it. On the other hand, you should also try to save as much energy as possible this winter.”

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