Childcare options

There are a number of childcare options for children under school age, i.e. up to the age of 3. Various information centers are available to help you find your way around, and guide you in your search for a childcare solution that suits you.

The different childcare options

Group daycare facilities (“accueils collectifs”)

These facilities are designed to care for children from the age of 2 months until they are old enough to go to preschool, and have 20 to 70 spaces:
  • Municipal or public nurseries and facilities ('crèches municipales', 'crèches familiales', ‘établissements d’accueil collectif public’)
  • Private nurseries and facilities (‘crèches’ run by parents, micro-crèches, company crèches)

Childminders

A childminder (‘assistant maternel’ or ‘assistante maternelle’) is a professional who looks after up to four children generally under 6 years old in his/her own home.

In-home childcare

You can employ a person directly or through a state-approved organization to care for your children in your own home (‘garde à domicile’).

Occasional childcare: drop-in daycare centers

Drop-in daycare centers (‘halte-garderies’) are small public centers (also known as ‘espace petite enfance municipal’) or private centers that care for children from 2 months to 6 years old on an occasional basis (half-day or full day).
Enrollment must be done directly at the centers.
The cost for you is means-tested and will depend on the number of hours you use the service. Means-testing takes into account your ‘quotient familial’, a tool used by the Family Allowances Office (‘Caisse d’Allocations Familiales’ - CAF) to calculate your household’s income.

Childcare information centers

Parents with young children can go to one of the information centers dedicated to childcare to obtain help, information and advice about the different care options for their children.

In Grenoble

Pôle Accueil Petite Enfance
Reception of the public by appointment only
'Centre communal Camille-Claudel'
47, avenue Marcelin-Berthelot 38100 Grenoble
04 38 02 37 37 (Monday to Thursday, 8:45am to 12pm)
accueilpe@ccas-grenoble.fr
> Find out more
Relais Petite Enfance (RPE, Early Childhood Centers)
To find a Relais Petite Enfance near you, use the search tool on the Monenfant.fr website.
> Find a Relais Petite Enfance

In Valence

Point Information Petite Enfance
Espace Jacques Brel, 1 place Jacques Brel, Valence
04 75 81 30 30
petiteenfance.valence@valenceromansagglo.fr
> More information
Relais Petite Enfance (RPE, Early Childhood Centers)
To find a Relais Petite Enfance near you, use the search tool on the Monenfant.fr website.
> Find a Relais Petite Enfance

Other cities

To find an information center or a Relais Petite Enfance (RPE), use the search tool on the Monenfant.fr website.
> Find an information center or RPE

You can also contact the town hall of your commune or town of residence.
Published on  January 8, 2021
Updated on October 19, 2023