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The occupancy rate in question
Replacing a child as soon as he leaves the nursery, pay attention to the filling rate… this is one of the main concerns of private nurseries denounced by certain early childhood specialists like Laurence Rameau. ” There is real pressure regarding the number of children present in the private sector ”. According to Catherine Boisseau Marsault, director of studies and prospective within the Observatory of parenting in business (OPE), this occupancy rate is required by the Family Allowance Funds. “They are the main funders of public or private nurseries. They therefore ensure that the subsidies paid are used as best as possible and that places do not run empty. Therefore, the managers are forced to maintain a minimum occupancy rate of 70 or even 80%.
A high filling rate does not necessarily mean productivity at a low price. Good management of the occupancy rate makes it possible to fill the greatest number of employees. As Catherine Boisseau Marsault points out, “young parents are sometimes part-time as part of parental leave. This frees up places on Wednesdays for employees with children aged 2-3, if they wish to provide them with community experience before kindergarten. The nurseries are committed to adapting to the needs of each family ”.
Private nursery: profitability at all costs?
The question of the filling rate also implies that of the “rate of return” of each child. Laurence Rameau, who has worked in the public and private sectors, notes “ a profit-driven mentality that is much more important in the private for-profit sector than in the public or private not-for-profit sector “. “The irruption of the private sector in childcare has clearly changed the way it works. When an establishment is managed by an association, there is no profit to be made. It is maintained thanks to subsidies. On the other hand, when it is administered by a nursery business, there are profits to be made. The latter sells the seats to have significant income. ”
As the regulations are similar in the two branches, there should be no differences in service. “Very often, nursery companies do their best to reduce costs as much as possible, while remaining strictly within the framework of the law,” says Laurence Rameau. They buy the necessary (diapers, food …) in large quantities and as cheaply as possible. There is also a tighter flow of professionals, unlike public nurseries ”. All these factors do not encourage graduates of early childhood to join the private for-profit sector, whether young or old. “Managers must also be accountable, achieve goals. However, these professionals are not used to linking work with children and the financial aspect. They have studied to welcome children, participate in their development and take time with each of them. “Even if they are attracted by higher salaries, the entrepreneurial position, non-existent in the public service, offends them, assures Laurence Rameau. When we choose a vocation for early childhood careers, we do not go into the private sector. But she insists: the essence of a childcare arrangement lies in the quality and motivation of the team. ” If the supervisory staff is not able to offer a real educational project, it will malfunction, whether it is a public, associative or private crèche ”.
Corporate nurseries as a model?
Wide working hours, better adaptability… according to Catherine Boisseau Marsault, company day nurseries have enabled municipal or association structures to question the service they offer parents, in particular in relation to the needs of dual-working couples. . More and more associative or municipal nurseries now close at 19 p.m. As for the furniture and the installations, the private structures would have nothing to envy to the other structures as they are more recent, they generally offer new games and furniture. Many of them are also embarking on organic or ecology, such as the Maison Bleue nursery network. Another originality: their location. Some private structures are located in stations such as the Roanne microcrèche.