Glossary

Early childhood glossary: the words used in French-speaking Switzerland

Garderie, crèche, UAPE, LAJE, SCAJE, settling-in period, sliding-scale rate: plain, self-contained definitions of the words parents meet when looking for a childcare place in the canton of Vaud.

Theme

Types of childcare

Garderie (daycare): A garderie is a collective daytime childcare facility for pre-school children while their parents work or study. In the canton of Vaud it must hold a cantonal licence and employ qualified early-years staff. In everyday French-speaking Swiss usage, garderie is the generic word for pre-school group childcare, whatever the age of the children. Our daycare
Crèche: In French-speaking Switzerland, crèche means the same thing as garderie: group daycare for children who have not yet started school. Historically the word emphasised the care of very young children and long opening hours. Today families and professionals use the two words interchangeably. Nursery, daycare, childminder: the differences
Nurserie (baby unit): The nurserie is the part of a childcare facility reserved for babies, typically from the end of maternity leave until they walk confidently. It is set up specifically for infants: firm floors for free movement, a changing area, a separate sleeping room, and individual feeding and sleeping rhythms. One daycare can run a baby unit and an older group under the same roof. Our groups
UAPE (school-age childcare unit): A UAPE looks after children who already attend school, before and after class and at lunchtime, during term and often in the holidays. It provides meals, supervised homework and leisure activities. It does not cover pre-school children, who attend a daycare or a family day carer.
Accueillante en milieu familial (family day carer): A family day carer looks after a small number of children in her own home, in a family setting. She is supervised by a recognised coordinating body that checks the conditions and provides follow-up. This option offers a lot of scheduling flexibility and a very quiet environment, but no multidisciplinary team and no peer group of the same age. Comparing childcare options
Réseau d'accueil de jour (childcare network): A réseau d'accueil de jour brings together the municipalities and childcare facilities of a given area to coordinate their provision. It usually runs a shared waiting list, applies a single income-based fee policy and allocates places among families living in the area. Private, non-subsidised facilities such as ours are outside the network, so enrolment happens directly with us. Finding a nursery place on the Riviera
Private vs subsidised facility: A subsidised facility receives public funding: fees depend on the parents' income and assets, and places are allocated by the network. A private, non-subsidised facility sets its own fees, the same for every family, and allocates its places directly. Both are subject to the same cantonal licence and the same quality requirements. Our rates
Central waiting list: This is the single register kept by a childcare network, where parents apply once for all the subsidised facilities in the area. Places are allocated according to criteria set by the network, often based on where the family lives and the parents' working hours. A private daycare is outside this list: you contact us directly and we answer with our actual availability. Current availability

Theme

Vaud legal framework

LAJE: LAJE is the Vaud cantonal act on daytime childcare. It sets the general framework for pre-school and school-age childcare in the canton: organisation into networks, licensing conditions, supervision and funding. It is the reference text behind the cantonal directives that daycares apply day to day.
RLAJE: RLAJE is the implementing regulation of the LAJE. It spells out in practical terms what the act states: operating conditions, required qualifications, requirements for premises and safety, and supervision procedures. It is the text daycare directors consult to check their compliance.
SCAJE: SCAJE is the Vaud cantonal service responsible for daytime childcare. It issues operating licences, supervises facilities, publishes the applicable directives and intervenes in case of shortcomings. Every daycare in the canton, private or subsidised, operates under its licence and oversight.
Operating licence: This is the cantonal administrative decision allowing a facility to look after children. It specifies the number of authorised places, the age ranges and the premises concerned, and requires qualification, safety and hygiene standards to be met. Without it, group childcare cannot legally operate. Legal framework & quality
Staff-to-child ratio: The staff-to-child ratio is the relationship between the number of professionals present and the number of children attending. It is set by cantonal directives and varies with the children's age: the younger they are, the higher the level of supervision. It also determines the share of qualified staff required in the team.
Cantonal reference framework: The reference framework for pre-school childcare describes the pedagogical principles expected of Vaud facilities: respect for each child's rhythm, emotional security, cooperation with families and openness to diversity. It does not replace each daycare's own educational project but provides its common foundation. Our pedagogy
Éducatrice de l'enfance ES (early-years educator): An éducatrice de l'enfance ES holds a diploma from a higher professional school specialising in early childhood. She carries pedagogical responsibility for a group: observing the children, arranging the space, running projects, meeting families and supporting the team. It is the benchmark qualification in Vaud facilities.
ASE (socio-educational assistant): An ASE holds the Swiss federal VET certificate (CFC) of socio-educational assistant, usually with the child-focused specialisation. Day to day, the ASE handles care, meals, activities and support for the children alongside the ES educators. It is one of the qualifications recognised when counting a group's supervising staff.
School calendar (plan de scolarité): The plan de scolarité is the canton's official calendar of term times and school holidays. UAPEs and many subsidised facilities align their opening with it. A private pre-school daycare is not bound by it: ours stays open all summer and only closes around Christmas. Our opening periods

Theme

Pedagogy

Loczy: Loczy is the name of the Budapest infant home where Emmi Pikler developed her approach to babies. The term "Loczy pedagogy" describes a way of caring for infants based on continuity of care, stable key adults and freedom of movement. The adult accompanies without rushing: a child is never placed in a position they cannot reach on their own. Loczy (Pikler) or Montessori
Pikler: Emmi Pikler was a Hungarian paediatrician whose observations showed that babies develop their motor skills by themselves given a safe space and an available adult. Her approach rests on three pillars: care as a moment of relationship, free movement, and autonomous activity. It applies particularly to children who are not yet walking. Loczy (Pikler) or Montessori
Montessori: Montessori pedagogy, developed from the work of Maria Montessori, offers a carefully prepared environment where children choose their own activity from accessible, orderly materials. The adult presents the material, then steps back to allow repetition and concentration. With toddlers it mainly takes the form of practical life and everyday autonomy. Our pedagogy
Free movement: Free movement means letting a child discover on their own the positions and movements their body can achieve, without being placed into them. In practice the baby lies on their back on a firm floor, dressed so they can move, and progresses at their own pace to rolling, crawling and walking. This freedom builds balance, confidence and natural carefulness. The babies group
Practical life: Practical life covers everyday activities offered to the child at their own scale: pouring, transferring, wiping, serving themselves at the table, putting on shoes. These are real, useful gestures using genuine, child-sized equipment. They build coordination, concentration and a sense of competence long before any academic learning. Our pedagogy
Key person (référente): The key person is the professional who follows one particular child and their family within the group. She leads the settling-in period, knows the child's habits, provides most of their care and is the parents' main point of contact. This relational continuity is a recognised factor of emotional security for very young children. Settling in at nursery
Bilingual immersion: Bilingual immersion means letting two languages — here French and English — live in the group's daily routine through songs, stories, rituals and natural exchanges. It is not language teaching but regular, embodied exposure. Children become familiar with sounds and words without effort or assessment. Our pedagogy

Theme

Daily life

Settling-in period: Settling in is the gradual period during which a child gets to know the daycare, the team and the group. It starts with short moments with a parent present, then lengthens step by step up to full days. Its pace adapts to the child: there is no universal duration, only landmarks. How the first weeks go
Familiarisation period: "Familiarisation period" is the professional term for settling in. It stresses that the point is not for the child to get used to a constraint, but to become familiar with a new place, new faces and a new rhythm. Parents take part in it: what they share and how confident they feel largely determine how well this stage goes. Settling in at nursery
Handover (transmission): Handovers are the exchanges of information between parents and the team, on arrival in the morning and at pick-up in the evening. They cover sleep, meals, mood, care and the highlights of the day. They are short rituals, but they are what keeps home and daycare connected. A typical day
Staggered naps: Staggered naps means children rest according to their own needs rather than at a single time imposed on the whole group. Babies sleep several times a day; older children usually once, after lunch. An adult stays present as they fall asleep, and waking happens naturally. A typical day
Comforter (doudou): The doudou is the familiar object — soft toy, cloth, scarf — that a child brings from home to help with separations. Psychologists call it a transitional object: it carries the smell and presence of home into a place that is still new. It stays within the child's reach, especially during settling in and at nap time. Settling in at nursery
Daily outing: The daily outing is the time spent outdoors every day, whatever the season, on the terrace or walking through the neighbourhood and along the lake. It supports sleep, appetite, motor skills and real-world observation. For us it is a deliberate pedagogical choice, not an activity kept for fine weather. A typical day

Theme

Costs and finances

Subsidy: A subsidy is public funding — municipal, inter-municipal or cantonal — paid to a childcare facility. It lowers the fee charged to families, usually according to their income. A private, non-subsidised daycare does not receive it: its rate is the same for every family, whatever their income. Our rates
Sliding-scale rate: A sliding-scale rate decreases as the number of booked days increases. The first days of the week stay at the full rate, then the price drops from a given attendance threshold onwards. It rewards regular attendance, which also helps the child's routine and the team's planning. Rates and calculator
Registration fee: The registration fee is a one-off amount charged when a child joins the facility. It covers the administrative processing of the file, the admission interview and the organisation of the settling-in period. It is separate from the monthly invoice and is not refunded if the family withdraws after the place is confirmed. Our rates
Notice period: The notice period is the time you must allow when announcing a child's departure or a significant change to their childcare contract. It usually runs from the end of the month in which written notice is given. During that period the booked days remain payable, whether used or not. Pricing FAQ
Tax deduction for childcare costs: In the canton of Vaud, childcare costs actually paid by parents may be deducted from taxable income, subject to the conditions and limits set by the tax legislation in force. Keep the annual certificates issued by the daycare. For the applicable conditions and amounts, refer to the official State of Vaud website or to your tax authority.

Looking for a place for your child?

We are a private bilingual daycare in Clarens (Montreux), open Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 18:30, 50 weeks a year. Enrolment is direct, with no central waiting list.

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