A childminder wishing to sign up for the childcare service voucher system must apply for recognition as a Chèque-Service Accueil provider with the Education and Care Department (Service d’Education et d’Reception) at the Ministry for Education, Children and Youth.

The provider is expected to work towards strengthening social cohesion by offering equal opportunities to all children.

Who is concerned

Any childminder with ministerial accreditation can become a Chèque-Service Accueil service provider.

Prerequisites

A childminder wishing to become a Chèque-Service Accueil service provider must meet the following requirements:

• understand and be able to express themselves in at least 2 of the 3 official languages of Luxembourg (Luxembourgish, French and German); an A2 level of proficiency is required, and they must produce a certificate issued by an accredited language school;

• produce a business plan describing the services they offer, and the educational approach and practices they employ, which must be in keeping with the national reference framework for "Non-formal education of children and young people" (Education non formelle des enfants et des jeunes);
• produce, as an integral part of their business plan, an educational project that is in keeping with the purpose of a public service. In their educational project, the childminder describes their plan for educational integration and the initiatives they have taken to get involved in the social life of their area/commune/village in Luxembourg;
• annually produce an activity report reflecting the implementation of the childminder's business plan in their work with children;
• the childminder must regularly attend State-approved continuing training / supervision sessions (40 hours over a 2-year period). Half of those hours must be in keeping with the national reference framework for "Non-formal education of children and young people". The training procedures are monitored by the SNJ's regional representative;
• sign an agreement with the Ministry and satisfy all the legal and regulatory conditions governing the application of childcare service vouchers;
• the childminder must implement the quality mechanisms and agree to be visited and assessed by the SNJ's regional representative. The role of the regional representatives is to monitor the quality of educational activities provided by education and care services establishments, childminders and services for young people.

Preliminary steps

Before they can be recognised as a Chèque-Service Accueil provider, the childminder must have ministerial accreditation. To obtain it, they apply to the Education and Care Department at the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth.

How to proceed

Application for recognition to become a CSA service provider

The applicant must file an application for State aid – childcare service vouchers as a childminder – with the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth, along with the following documents:

• the business plan;
• the educational project as an integral part of the business plan;
• the supporting documents proving that the applicant meets the required linguistic standards (A2 level in at least 2 of the 3 official languages).

All documents making up the application must be sent by post to the Education and Care Department - Childminder Accreditation Unit, at the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth.

Business plan

The business plan must conform to the national reference framework for "Non-formal education of children and young people".

As a CSA provider, the childminder must describe the educational methods, priorities and resources used to achieve the objectives set out in the national reference framework.

Guidelines on how to write up a business plan are available at enfancejeunesse.lu.

The business plan is developed for a period of 3 years. The National Youth Service analyses the business plan and the Minister of Education, Children and Youth validates it.

Educational project

The educational project is an integral part of the business plan and must be consistent with the mission of delivering a public service.

The purpose of that mission is to:

• strengthen cohesion and social integration of the children in the local community in Luxembourg society;
• support the enrolment of children in the Luxembourg primary school system;

The educational project describes the objectives the childminder has set themselves to carry out their role as a public service provider.

The Ministry of Education, Children and Youth has published a memo on how to write up an educational project. The memo is available on request.

Who to contact