How do I register my child in a daycare centre ?
Registering your child for a place in a daycare centre may seem complicated and requiring a lot of action on your part. But it's actually quite simple! Find out about the different procedures involved. We'll guide you through all the steps, from finding a day care place that suits your needs and requesting a booking, to creating your enrolment file. Let's get started!
When should I apply for a place in a daycare centre ?
As daycare places are in very high demand, especially in large cities, we recommend that all expecting parents think about their child's care arrangements before the birth of their child.
There are no hard and fast rules or deadlines for applying for a place in a daycare centre, but pre-registrations for places can be made as early as the first few months of pregnancy. Some parents apply to enrol their child in a daycare centre as soon as they become pregnant, others at 3 or 6 months, and still others wait until the baby is born.
In all cases, don't hesitate to apply as early as possible (in the first few months of pregnancy), to save yourself stress and increase your chances of finding a place in a daycare centre that really meets your expectations. It's never too early to start looking for information and to start applying for a place in a daycare centre!
Choosing a daycare centre that suits your needs
One of the most important criteria for choosing your daycare centre is, of course, its location. We recommend that you first identify daycare centres close to your home or workplace, to make your day-to-day life as simple as possible.
For your information, people&baby has 700 daycare centres throughout France, which maximises your chances of finding a place in thedaycare centre that is best located for you. All you need to do is decide:
- how many days of childcare per week you will need,
- the times when you want your child to be looked after.
Once you have defined these criteria, you have two options for obtaining a place in a daycare centre :
- You can contact your local council for a list of centres in your area ;
- You can also apply to join the people&baby network, which offers parents places in private daycare centres (or company daycare centres) at the same rate as municipal daycare centre, thanks to a financial contribution from their employer.
You can find out from your HR department whether your company has already taken steps in this direction. If not, people&baby's family advisers are at your service to provide your company with all the necessary information and help you obtain your place in a daycare centre at a lower cost.
Preparing your daycare centre application form
The list of documents required to create a daycare registration file may differ from one daycare centre network to another. If you apply with people&baby by filling in a form, a family advisor will contact you very quickly to provide you with all the information you need for the daycare centre(s) you have selected (number of places available, supporting documents, etc.).
By way of example, here are the documents you may be asked to provide in order to open your daycare registration file:
- Proof of pregnancy or birth certificate if your child has already been born,
- Proof of address,
- Your most recent tax assessment.
You can now contact a people&baby family advisor to help you prepare your application to enrol in a daycare centre.
Finally, you should know that for all childcare (childcarer or daycare centre), you can receive financial assistance from the CAF and a tax credit.