Does the fee change when my child moves from the toddler group to the preschool group?
No. Fees are based on your child’s age on the first day of each month (the relevant cut-off date), not on the group they attend. For children under 18 months of age, the daily rate is CHF 169. For children aged 18 months and older, the daily rate is CHF 145.
Why can’t missed childcare days due to holidays, illness, or public holidays be made up on other days? Why can’t days be swapped? Why don’t you offer “joker days”?
As a rule, all groups are fully booked throughout the year. Allowing missed days to be made up on other dates would therefore result in groups exceeding their permitted capacity. Occasionally, additional places may become available due to absences. However, we do not offer these as compensation days, as only a small number of families would benefit from them. In the interest of fairness and equal treatment for all children and families, we therefore do not provide compensation, swap days, or “joker days”.
Can we pause our childcare contract if we are planning an extended holiday?
Unfortunately, unpaid childcare leave is not possible. The reason is that we are unable to temporarily reassign or sublet your child’s place for a limited period, as there is generally no demand for individually tailored childcare places for short, fixed-term periods. As a result, offering unpaid childcare leave would create costs that would have to be absorbed entirely by the nursery’s operating budget, which is not sustainable.
We only have a PostFinance account. Can direct debit payments also be arranged from PostFinance accounts?
Unfortunately, PostFinance does not allow direct debit payments to a bank account. To offer this option, we would need to maintain a separate PostFinance account ourselves, which would significantly increase our administrative workload. For this reason, we kindly ask families with a PostFinance account to settle invoices directly upon receipt.
Is Kita Regenbogen run for profit?
No. Kita Regenbogen is part of the non-profit association Orte für Kinder. As a charitable organisation, the association does not distribute profits. Any surplus generated in a financial year remains within the organisation and is reinvested in childcare services and quality improvements. At the same time, the association does not have a financial guarantee against losses. Therefore, it must operate on a cost-covering basis and budget for small surpluses to ensure long-term sustainability. For this reason, the nursery is managed with the same financial responsibility as a small business and cannot absorb unusual costs or waive income for social reasons alone.
Why does Kita Regenbogen open at 7:45 a.m. rather than 7:30 a.m. or 7:00 a.m.?
In our catchment area, most children tend to arrive during the second half of the morning drop-off period. As a result, only a small number of families would benefit from an earlier opening time. However, extending the standard opening hours would increase staffing costs, which would need to be covered by all families. Every additional 15 minutes of opening time would increase the daily cost per childcare place by approximately CHF 1.50.
What is the staff turnover rate at Kita Regenbogen?
Among our qualified educators, the average length of service is approximately five years. With a team of around 15 educators, this means that roughly three staff members leave each year. Some stay for only two years, while others have been with us for ten years or even eightteen years. Our apprentices complete a one-year internship before beginning their training and therefore typically remain with us for four years. Interns who do not continue into an apprenticeship generally leave after one year. Both the Educational Director and the Administrative Director have been responsible for the leadership and development of Kita Regenbogen since its opening in March 2008.
When do children move from the toddler group to the preschool group?
Children generally move from the younger group to the older group once a year. This transition usually takes place during July, allowing children to settle into their new group before August. If places become available in the preschool groups during the year, an earlier transfer may also be considered. In all cases, both the child’s age (minimum two years) and their individual stage of development are taken into account.
When will we know whether our child will move to a preschool group during the summer?
Transitions are planned each year once all departures of kindergarten-aged children are known, usually in May. Parents receive written information about group changes at the beginning of June. Children who will be 30 months old by August automatically move to a preschool group. For children between 24 and 30 months of age, available places and each child’s individual developmental readiness are assessed in May.
Which foods are organic?
At Kita Regenbogen, we use organic ingredients not only for our homemade fruit and vegetable purées but also for many other foods served throughout the week. Fresh organic fruit and vegetables are delivered weekly by our supplier, BioPartner. We also source organic natural yoghurt, cottage cheese, rice cakes, rusks, sweetcorn, canned tomatoes, penne, spaghetti, tofu, oats, eggs, rice, couscous, and a lentil–quinoa blend from them. Organic products are delivered every Monday morning. In the unlikely event that a particular item is unavailable, we may occasionally substitute it with a conventional alternative at short notice in order to maintain the planned menu.
Why are the group rooms different sizes?
When designing Kita Regenbogen, it was important to us that each of the seven groups would have its own unique layout and character. At the same time, we wanted all groups to offer an equal amount of space. Therefore, all group rooms are essentially the same size, with only very minor variations. Because each room has a different floor plan, some may appear larger or smaller than others, even though the actual floor area is virtually identical.