Inscription en Crèche
(for children from 3 months to 3 years)
The purpose of this text is to help you start the procedure of giving your child/children (3M-3Y) to any form of child care in Grenoble. You maybe gave birth in France and you might already have insight in how stuff work here, but maybe you just came – you have to start working, or you simply want your children to go to some kind of child care.
Your first step should be deciding which form of child care you want to put your child to: Crèche, ‘nounou’ or ‘halte-garderie’ and then ‘inscrire’ as soon as possible because there is not always places available and there might be a waiting list! Some women subscribe to get a place when pregnant when the baby is not born yet!
I will not write about how much it costs, because it always depends on your QF (quotient familial) determined by CAF, based on your family revenues from 2 years before present. You can make a simulation on CAF website to calculate everything. If only one parent is working, you will not get support from CAF.
Nounou is always more expensive then crèche, while one hour in halte-garderie costs the same as one hour at crèche.
Where to ‘inscrire’?
The service that deals with coordination and placement of children to nounous and crèches is called ‘Service petite enfance’. You have to go there to ‘inscrire’, create a ‘dossier’ for your child, fill in some papers, give them some documents and see if there is place or you have to wait. You can ask all the details you want to know there, but ladies that work there usually don’t speak English, so it is better if you prepare well.
I have also learned that you cannot choose just any crèche you like, but it goes strictly by the address, only exception being the job address of both parents.
French like to send letters, so you will be asked to update your ‘dossier’, send more documents, whatever needed, by post and you will receive their answers also by post. Service petite enfance was close enough to me so I always went in person, but e-mailing was not possible.
Don’t get surprised if not every nounou cost exactly the same, but it is all similar. They are more expensive if you choose that nounou cooks and provides food, but you can always prepare all meals yourself and bring to her. You have to provide the dippers and other baby stuff.
There are 2 types of contracts to sign with crèche – ‘occasionel’ – if one parent doesn’t work or your job/working hours change a lot, and ‘permanent’. In case of ‘occasionel’ you pay each month – possibly different amount, depending how many hours your child spent there and in case of permanent, it is always the same.
Other details as what when child is sick, their rhythm in crèche or what they eat there are available at ‘Service petite enfance’, usually in fliers they give you.
In the end – don’t worry, French system is really good and kids friendly, there are many possibilities and they always try to adjust to your needs. They are always super nice and respect children’s rhythm and when entering to any kind of facility or nounou, there is always period of adaptation, to minimize the shock of change for kids!
*Everything written is from personal experience from Saint Martin d’Heres and I expect that situation and system in Grenoble is similar enough that this can help.
**Along all the documents you will have to provide, you have to have ‘Carnet de santé’ and proof of vaccinations your child had received. Before entering collective, you also have to visit doctor ‘generaliste’ or pediatrician to obtain ‘Certificat médical d’admission en structure petite enfance’.
***If one parent isn’t working, they might ask you a proof that you are looking for a job (or that you are a student for example) in order to give you the place in crèche. To get this, you should ‘inscrire’ to ‘Pole emploi’. You can do this online, but you need to get RDV there to get the paper that says you are looking for a job.
Useful links
Service petite enfance at Grenoble
http://www.grenoble.fr/33-petite-enfance.htm
Service petite enfance at Saint Martin d’Hères
http://www.saintmartindheres.fr/index.php/education-menu/petite-enfance
Eco-friendly and bilingual day nursery in Meylan
http://www.creche-coocoon.fr/contact_EN.php
La marelle – place where you can come with your kids and stay to play, meet other kids and parents, ideal when it’s raining
http://lamarelle.laep38.perso.sfr.fr/
La boite à jeu - place where you can come with your kids and stay to play, meet other kids and parents, ideal when it’s raining
Maison de quartier – each maison quartier has many activities, among them there might also be ‘Accueil parents-enfants’ where you can come and play, check at your maison quartier!
(for children from 3 months to 3 years)
The purpose of this text is to help you start the procedure of giving your child/children (3M-3Y) to any form of child care in Grenoble. You maybe gave birth in France and you might already have insight in how stuff work here, but maybe you just came – you have to start working, or you simply want your children to go to some kind of child care.
Your first step should be deciding which form of child care you want to put your child to: Crèche, ‘nounou’ or ‘halte-garderie’ and then ‘inscrire’ as soon as possible because there is not always places available and there might be a waiting list! Some women subscribe to get a place when pregnant when the baby is not born yet!
I will not write about how much it costs, because it always depends on your QF (quotient familial) determined by CAF, based on your family revenues from 2 years before present. You can make a simulation on CAF website to calculate everything. If only one parent is working, you will not get support from CAF.
Nounou is always more expensive then crèche, while one hour in halte-garderie costs the same as one hour at crèche.
Where to ‘inscrire’?
The service that deals with coordination and placement of children to nounous and crèches is called ‘Service petite enfance’. You have to go there to ‘inscrire’, create a ‘dossier’ for your child, fill in some papers, give them some documents and see if there is place or you have to wait. You can ask all the details you want to know there, but ladies that work there usually don’t speak English, so it is better if you prepare well.
I have also learned that you cannot choose just any crèche you like, but it goes strictly by the address, only exception being the job address of both parents.
French like to send letters, so you will be asked to update your ‘dossier’, send more documents, whatever needed, by post and you will receive their answers also by post. Service petite enfance was close enough to me so I always went in person, but e-mailing was not possible.
- Nounou
Don’t get surprised if not every nounou cost exactly the same, but it is all similar. They are more expensive if you choose that nounou cooks and provides food, but you can always prepare all meals yourself and bring to her. You have to provide the dippers and other baby stuff.
- Crèche
There are 2 types of contracts to sign with crèche – ‘occasionel’ – if one parent doesn’t work or your job/working hours change a lot, and ‘permanent’. In case of ‘occasionel’ you pay each month – possibly different amount, depending how many hours your child spent there and in case of permanent, it is always the same.
Other details as what when child is sick, their rhythm in crèche or what they eat there are available at ‘Service petite enfance’, usually in fliers they give you.
- Halte-garderie
In the end – don’t worry, French system is really good and kids friendly, there are many possibilities and they always try to adjust to your needs. They are always super nice and respect children’s rhythm and when entering to any kind of facility or nounou, there is always period of adaptation, to minimize the shock of change for kids!
*Everything written is from personal experience from Saint Martin d’Heres and I expect that situation and system in Grenoble is similar enough that this can help.
**Along all the documents you will have to provide, you have to have ‘Carnet de santé’ and proof of vaccinations your child had received. Before entering collective, you also have to visit doctor ‘generaliste’ or pediatrician to obtain ‘Certificat médical d’admission en structure petite enfance’.
***If one parent isn’t working, they might ask you a proof that you are looking for a job (or that you are a student for example) in order to give you the place in crèche. To get this, you should ‘inscrire’ to ‘Pole emploi’. You can do this online, but you need to get RDV there to get the paper that says you are looking for a job.
Useful links
Service petite enfance at Grenoble
http://www.grenoble.fr/33-petite-enfance.htm
Service petite enfance at Saint Martin d’Hères
http://www.saintmartindheres.fr/index.php/education-menu/petite-enfance
Eco-friendly and bilingual day nursery in Meylan
http://www.creche-coocoon.fr/contact_EN.php
La marelle – place where you can come with your kids and stay to play, meet other kids and parents, ideal when it’s raining
http://lamarelle.laep38.perso.sfr.fr/
La boite à jeu - place where you can come with your kids and stay to play, meet other kids and parents, ideal when it’s raining
Maison de quartier – each maison quartier has many activities, among them there might also be ‘Accueil parents-enfants’ where you can come and play, check at your maison quartier!
