Childcare that connects families.

Exclusively the families involved, directly with each other. Fam4Fam is purely a matching and settlement platform following a marketplace model – not an employer and not a childcare institution. Use of the platform is a separate contractual relationship; Fam4Fam does not provide any childcare itself.

This depends, among other things, on the canton, how regular the care is and the specific arrangement. Clarify in advance any notification and authorisation requirements under the Swiss Foster Care Ordinance (PAVO) and cantonal law with the competent authority and, where applicable, requirements under the Recruitment Act (AVG). For childcare allowances paid in money, including cash, social insurance and taxes must be checked, if necessary with the compensation office. Calling it an expense allowance does not automatically exempt you from such obligations. Fam4Fam gives no blanket assurance of legal compliance; the platform’s own legal obligations remain. Details are set out in the Terms.

Not as a replacement. Fam4Fam complements daycare, after-school care, grandparents and professional childcare – an additional way to bridge gaps together with other families, for example at off-peak times or on individual days.

Families helping families: you can swap childcare by looking after another family’s children and later receiving childcare yourselves. Fam4Fam supports families across Switzerland, for example also for childcare in Fribourg or Solothurn, as soon as enough families in your region take part.

Yes. If you have time, you can support other families. If you provide care in the time model, you receive CareHours after confirmed childcare – one per child cared for per hour. Your own children don’t count. Merely offering time does not create a balance.

CareHours are pure 1:1 exchange time: one confirmed hour of caring for another family’s child equals one CareHour. You can use it later for childcare with a suitable family. The balance doesn’t have to happen immediately or with the same family; a suitable match is not guaranteed. CareHours are not money and cannot be bought, paid out or converted into CashHours.

CashHours are an optional purchase when you’re short of time. As non-binding indicative examples for the pilot phase (under review), per child-hour: CHF 6.00 childcare allowance for the caregiving family plus a separate CHF 1.50 service/platform fee for Fam4Fam, CHF 7.50 in total. The childcare allowance is an expense allowance between families and only arises for childcare that was agreed, provided and confirmed accordingly – not CareHours on top. Purchased hours are not a freely withdrawable cash balance; a CareHours surplus is not paid out. Before any paid transaction, both items and the total amount are shown separately.

Fam Free offers the complete core process without a subscription. Fam Plus is an optional convenience subscription. Independently of this, optional CashHours costs may arise for childcare not balanced by your own time or existing CareHours (non-binding indicative example for the pilot phase, under review: CHF 6.00 childcare allowance plus a separate CHF 1.50 service/platform fee, CHF 7.50 in total per child-hour).

Fam4Fam is in its test phase and will first launch in regions where enough families can form a local network. We’ll only announce a date once it’s fixed – by pre-registering, you’ll be the first to know.

Fam4Fam is for families who want to support each other with childcare. Whether a childcare arrangement suits you is your decision, after meeting and based on your own agreements.

Fam4Fam is designed for careful handling of personal information. Which data is processed and for what purpose is explained in the privacy policy at fam4fam.ch/datenschutz.

No – not immediately and not necessarily with the same family. CareHours show time contributions. If your own time or existing CareHours aren’t enough, buying CashHours is an optional way to balance. A suitable match is not guaranteed.