The activity of childminding consists in looking after children – aged 0 to 12, or who are still in basic education or differentiated teaching – on a regular basis, during daytime or nighttime, in return for payment. Applications for childminding services must be filed by the persons with parental authority for the child for whom the services are being sought. The maximum length of time a childminder can continuously take care of a child, day and night, is 3 weeks.

Childminding is a service provided on a self-employed basis by the childminder at their home.

The maximum number of children that one or more childminders may simultaneously accommodate as part of their professional childminding activity is 5. The childminder may not take care of more than 2 children under the age of 2. The childminder's own children are also taken into account in this calculation.

The rights and obligations of the parties must be set out in an education and care services contract. The total number of children who may be covered by one or more education and care services contracts may not exceed 12 per childminder.

Who is concerned

Any adult may take care of a child in their home, as their main job or as an auxiliary activity.

Prerequisites

To obtain accreditation as a childminder, applicants must satisfy the following conditions:

• meet the condition of good repute, as assessed on the basis of their prior criminal record (original extracts from criminal records no. 3 and no. 5: "Protection of minors)";
  The childminder, their substitute, adults and minors from the age of 16 living in the same household must not have been convicted of any criminal offence that is incompatible with the activity of childminding. The childminder's own children and those of the substitute must not have been subject to an educational assistance or placement measure. 

• be over 18 years of age;
• produce a medical certificate issued by a general practitioner, dated less than 30 days previously, attesting to their physical and psychological fitness to take on a childminding role. Their substitute must also produce such a certificate, attesting to their ability to temporarily take charge of the children under the childminder's care;
• provide proof of their professional qualifications:
  • hold a diploma in the psychosocial, educational, socio-educational or health fields;
  • hold a training certificate in social and family services;
  • hold a training certificate in childminding;
    All applicants must have completed the preliminary training designed to prepare them for organising and carrying out the activity of childminding.

• have the ability to understand and express themselves in at least one of the country's 3 official languages (Luxembourgish, French or German);
• submit a business plan, describing the childminding services they intend to offer, which must be consistent with:
  • their family status;
  • the childminder's availability;
  • the resources and facilities available to the children in their care;
• produce a recent certificate of first-aid training (dated less than 5 years previously). Basic first-aid training or a certificate of childminding training are acceptable as proof;
• comply with the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child;
• take out professional civil liability insurance (also required for their substitute). The childminder must comply with the regulations regarding social security;
• regularly attend continuing vocational training or supervision sessions (totalling 40 hours over a 2-year period).

The facilities provided by the childminder must comply with the minimum criteria on health and safety. A guide to these criteria is available to childminders.

How to proceed

Application for accreditation

Any person interested in childminding must contact the Agence Dageselteren. The agency provides training, guidance and information on childminding in a family environment, aimed at:

• childminders;
• applicants for accreditation;
• parents and future parents.

Activities offered

Childminding involves activities which vary depending on the child's age and needs:

• primary care;
• rest and sleep;
• nutritionally balanced meals;
• facilitating children's social, emotional, cognitive, linguistic and psychomotor development;
• facilitating access to cultural, musical, artistic and sporting activities;
• regular organisation of outdoor trips;
• supervised study, involving the provision of a quiet environment which is conducive to doing homework.

In the parents' absence, the childminder must see to it that the children's basic needs are met. They must safeguard the children's physical and emotional well-being, and create an environment conducive to their development. Other services relating to the individual needs of the children in their care may be agreed between the parties. In all their actions in connection with the activity of childminding, the children's interests must be a priority.

Substitute

For the care of children entrusted to them, the childminder may be temporarily replaced, at their home, by one or 2 people engaged under an education and care services contract.

The childminder and their substitute must, at all times, comply with the maximum allowable capacity of 5 children.

The substitute may not work more than 200 hours in a year, or 8 hours a week.

The substitute must satisfy the conditions of health and good repute, and be covered by professional civil liability insurance.

Thus, the childminder may appoint one or 2 persons of trust who may serve as their "substitute". They must take the necessary steps to ensure that the substitute is also covered by professional civil liability insurance. The childminder must ensure that their substitute satisfies the conditions of health and good repute. For this purpose, they must produce original extracts of criminal records no. 3 and no. 5 for the substitute, as well as a medical certificate issued by a general practitioner (dated less than 30 days previously), attesting to the substitute's physical and psychological fitness to temporarily take charge of the children entrusted to the childminder's care.

As the parents are required to formally give their consent, the childminder must identify their substitute(s) in the education and care services contract for each child registered in their care.

Forms / Online services

Who to contact