Crèches represent an advantageous form of childcare for young parents. Unfortunately, the number of places is limited and demand is high. To put all the chances on your side, it is better to register at the crèche as soon as possible.

A tiny proportion of children under 3 are looked after in a crèche. Mainly involved: demand far greater than supply. It is not enough therefore to want it, to obtain a place in nursery depends mainly on the availability of the structure.

The number of places in a crèche depends on the size of the reception area, but also on the number of supervisory staff. For example, the law imposes in collective nurseries the presence of one adult for five children who do not walk, one adult for eight children who walk. The municipality still has to have nurseries …

Obtaining a place in the nursery for your child is therefore a chance! Still, it must be provoked …

The registration procedures for a crèche depend on each structure. In any case, it is strongly recommended to register the child as early as possible and even before his birth! At the first positive pregnancy test, future parents can contact the heads of the nurseries of their choice to find out about the admission procedures – conditions to be met, date of submission of the file and list of documents to be provided. From the first compulsory prenatal consultation, applicants will be able to submit their pre-registration file, proof of pregnancy issued by the doctor in support.

Please note: some nurseries only accept registrations from the 6th month of pregnancy.

Young parents will also have to confirm their wish to register their baby in a crèche at the time of delivery, with a supporting birth certificate.

The child cannot be accommodated within the structure before his two months – legal end of maternity leave.

In principle, each place is awarded subject to objective criteria. Nurseries generally set up point grid systems, parents accumulate points according to the criteria they meet, and places are allocated in priority to applicants with the best score. Among the criteria most frequently taken into account for the admission of the child to the crèche:

• Parents must exercise a professional activity. Parents looking for work or in training are also sometimes a priority.
• The child’s domicile must be in the municipality – or even the district – of the crèche.
• Single parents – single-parent families – have priority.
• Parents of twins have priority.
• The household with low income can earn additional points.
• The child born in June for a start in crèche at two months in September have more chances of being admitted. Indeed, many departures are made at the time of the start of the school year: places are free. Children born at another time of the year will most of the time have to wait until September. During this waiting period, parents will have to consider another temporary childcare solution – licensed childminder, home nanny, grandparents, etc.
• Children from siblings whose older brothers or sisters are or have been accommodated in the crèche may be given priority.
• The priority of the request is essential: the earlier the registration is carried out, the more likely the file will be successful.

In any case, each crèche establishes its own admission criteria, which parents can read on request.

Beyond the objective criteria for admission to a nursery, certain tips allow you to maximize your chances of obtaining a place in a nursery:

• Share their motivation: by making regular contact with the nursery, from submitting their pre-registration file to the admissions committee, parents can communicate their motivation to school directors – without being too insistent either! The director may be more willing to better defend their case …
• Multiply requests for places: the more parents submit pre-registration files, the more likely they are to obtain a place in the nursery for their child! Note: there are several types of structures. Parental nursery, company nursery, family nursery … so many options that parents can consider.

Depending on the nursery, the documents to be provided for the registration of the child differ. Parents should check with their town hall or the establishment of their choice. As a general rule, the following documents are required:

• Proof of pregnancy: medical certificate, maternity certificate or birth certificate.
• Proof of address.
• Proof of professional situation: employment contract, salary slip or K-bis extract.

A crèche can be managed by:

• The municipality.
• A private organization.
• An association.

There are different types of nursery, all management methods combined:

• The traditional collective crèche and the micro-crèche.
• The parental nursery.
• The family nursery.
• The company nursery.