Globegarden breaks new ground in bilingual childcare

With the idea that modern families need a better support system and that young children learn languages quickly, Globegarden a new startup in Zurich has organized a bilingual quality childcare centre for 2 to 6-year-olds open 365 days a year from 7am to 9pm.

It aims to make it easier to combine family and work. Modeled on the phenomenally successful American model Bright Horizons, Globegarden is responding to market forces, but with a Swiss touch.

Under the umbrella of the kcc group (kid’s care concept), Globegarden.org organizes the centres, Globesitters.org provides a web platform with access to care experts and Globecharity.org dedicates one per cent of group sales to parents in need, especially working or single mothers and fathers.

The aim is to provide flexible solutions for families looking for a good work-life balance.

"In Switzerland we have not yet understood that families need to be supported," indicates Christina Weber, co-founder of Globegarden with fellow business school graduate Kristina Hempel and their respective sisters, Caroline Weber and Karin Hempel.

"The organisation of childcare here is not in tune with the times," Christina Weber explains, adding, “When our friends started to have babies, we realized that there was a serious problem. In order to secure a place in a care centre, future parents have to enrol their children before they are even born."

Difficulties also arise when the opening hours of nurseries or kindergartens are not compatible with the work schedule of either parent. Children must then be transferred to alternative care before they can be picked up.

"The organisation of child care becomes very complicated for young families, which explains why a lot of women with academic backgrounds give up their careers to look after their children," she adds.

By offering flexibility and quality care, including over holiday periods, Globegarden claims that it is contributing to ensuring “the survival of the family”.

"Kristina and I both come from families where both parents worked hard and I can assure you that along with our sisters we remain very close," says Weber emphasizing that "time alone does not create a valuable relationship with a child".

Responding to the suggestion that generous opening hours might lead parents to use the childcare centres as a garage for their kids, Christina Weber points out that 99 percent of parents pick up their children between 6pm and 7pm. "What we guarantee is a presence in the event of an emergency."

As for the week-end programme that concentrates on playful and artistic activities, it is rarely used by the same families that use the week days.

Although Christina Weber and her partners believe strongly that the decision to work or not after a child is born is a very personal one and should not be judged, they also defend the principle that the choice must exist. "Society must move on," she insists.

"We organized several sessions and workshops with our friends and neighbours to define their dream childcare system. We listened and then put it all together," she explains.

With their backgrounds in finance, marketing, banking and event management the four partners were well equipped to set up their business venture and obtain funds from Crédit Suisse to renovate their first premises ("They have been tremendously helpful") as well as other sponsors.

They have also received support from the Swiss federal programme that promotes the opening of nurseries.

Doris Cohen-Dumani, a former politician who presides the Vaud foundation for daycare centres, believes that Globegarden is simply responding to needs that have already been identified and to which her foundation, amongst many other cantonal organisations,  is responding to in partnership with the corporate world that needs childcare solutions as much as families do.

What she finds interesting however in the Globegarden concept is the fact that this young start-up has apparently understood the importance for children to develop harmoniously outside of their home environments in order for families to remain happy and has therefore put a heavy accent on quality. She also appreciates the bilingual approach.

"Childcare has really evolved and Globegarden seen to have understood this," says Doris Cohen-Dumani.

But what about the pedagogical programme asked Swisster? Each canton has its own, indicates Christine Weber, although Harmos, the aptly-named federal project that a number of cantons have adopted aims to iron out the differences between the different school systems.

"We complete the objectives with those defined by the International Baccalaureate early years programme," indicates Weber.

Two fully qualified teacher/carers look after the children in each Globegarden centre, one who speaks the local language, the other – generally of mother tongue – who speaks in English to the children. The idea is that they pick up the two languages simultaneously.

Another idea applied by Globegarden is a mentoring programme whereby an older child is assigned a younger one to look after. "We prefer this to the age-mixed tradition in Switzerland where two to six year-olds are cared for together. We like the idea that older children take younger ones under their wing. It gives them a sense of reponsability," Christina Weber adds.

Such an ambitious programme naturally comes at a cost, so count on spending about 125 Swiss francs a day to have your child looked after fulltime, although each family can negociate a custom-tailored programme.

Globegarden also caters to the needs of corporations that need to set up childcare centres or that want to offer their employees access to the valuable babysitting, emergency care and host families web platform.

The large population of expats in Switzerland with many highly-qualified trailing spouses with young children who have discovered the difficulty of reconciling work with family life may find that Globegarden is just what they need to get back in the saddle.

Globegarden

kcc group ag
Freigutstrasse 10
8002 Zurich
Switzerland
email: info@thekccgroup.org

T + 41 43 497 22 77 
T + 41 43 344 58 02