Childcare in Luxembourg: crèche, maison relais and the chèque-service accueil (CSA)

Luxembourg has one of Europe's most heavily subsidised childcare systems, built around the chèque-service accueil (CSA). The scheme covers children aged 0 to 12 whose parents live in Luxembourg, or whose non-resident parent works in the country and is an EU national. Understanding the options — and the subsidy that sits behind them — is the first step for any family settling in the Grand Duchy.

The childcare options

Families choose between several approved structures depending on a child's age and needs:

• Crèche — collective day care for children roughly 0 to 4, before they start school.
• Mini-crèche — a smaller collective setting with the same early-years remit.
• Assistant parental (childminder) — a registered carer looking after a small number of children, often in their own home.
• Foyer de jour — a day-care centre offering flexible collective care.
• Maison relais — out-of-school care for school-age children, covering before and after school, lunchtime and the holidays.

All of these can be approved CSA providers, which is what unlocks the state subsidy. A structure must be recognised by the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth for the reduced rates to apply.

How the chèque-service accueil works

Under the CSA, the state pays part of the bill and parents pay the rest. The state's contribution is limited to 60 hours per week, and the hourly cap depends on the setting:

• 7 euro per hour for a child in an education and childcare facility (crèche, mini-crèche, maison relais, foyer de jour).
• 5.40 euro per hour for a child looked after by an assistant parental.

For care at night (19:00 to 07:00), at weekends and on public holidays, the state contribution is increased by 0.50 euro per hour. Any cost above these caps is paid in full by the parents.

The parental share scales with household taxable income, the number of children receiving family allowances, the type of service and the hours requested — each contract is calculated case by case using the official parental-participation scale. Lower-income households pay the least per hour; the maximum parental rate applies once monthly taxable income reaches 4.5 times the social minimum wage (an annual taxable income above 138,830 euro), and at that point parents no longer need to disclose their income.

Free hours and free meals

Several elements are free regardless of income:

• 20 free hours a week of multilingual education (an introduction to Luxembourgish and French) for children aged 1 to 4 in a collective facility or mini-crèche, for 46 weeks a year. Children not in full-time early education receive 10 free hours instead.
• For school-age children subject to compulsory schooling, after-school care and the main midday meal are free during school weeks (Monday to Friday, 7:00 to 19:00). This has applied since 12 September 2022.

During school-holiday weeks, free meals are reserved for children in households earning less than twice the social minimum wage; above that, the CSA scale applies, with a parental contribution capped at 100 euro per week (meals excluded).

How to apply, and the waiting lists

The process depends on where you live and work:

• Residents apply at the communal administration of their place of residence.
• Cross-border EU workers apply directly to the CAE (Caisse pour l'avenir des enfants), by post.

Demand is high, especially for crèche places in and around Luxembourg City, so families are widely advised to register on waiting lists early — often well before a place is needed. The CSA helpdesk can confirm rates and walk parents through the participation scale before they sign a membership contract.

For the authoritative rules and the full participation scale, consult cae.public.lu, the Ministry's free-care page and guichet.public.lu.

Last reviewed: June 2026. Figures and rules can change; always confirm with official sources before deciding.