Petition number 2061 was subjected to open debate in the Chamber of Deputies on Friday after receiving over 4,900 signatures online.
For the first time, an entire family joined the debate in the chamber, including parents, aunts, grandmothers and young girls. Jules Clement, father and the main petitioner, praised the plan for free termtime childcare, announced by Xavier Bettel in his State of the Nation address last October, but emphasised there was a long way to go in terms of equality as the provisions did not support stay-at-home parents. Encouraging flexible and part-time work
Clement suggested further financial aid, matching the expenses paid by the State for wraparound childcare and school meals. But regardless of the total, more financial support could give more parents the option to work part-time, which would benefit the children, families and society, he argued.
“Maison Relais” care is not for everyone
Clement also raised the point that many wraparound childcare facilities did not have the space to increase their intake. Cathy Clement, the petitioner’s sister, who is also a nurse and a mother, said she could rarely benefit from the care offered by a Maison Relais in term-time. Shift work in certain professions means that for a lot of parents, these structures are not helpful when it comes to childcare, which means that a considerable number of working parents are missing out on government support.
Minister of Family Corinne Cahen added that many parents now opted to spend more time at home with their children following the parental leave reforms.
Maison Relais wraparound care forms part of non-formal education, said Minister of Education Claude Meisch, which means it should be accessible to everyone in the same vein as public schooling.
No agreement on financial support
Although a large number of MPs participated in the discussion, they failed to reach an agreement on the points raised by Jules Clement. The majority were not prepared to make a decision, said Nancy Arendt, president of the Petitions Commission. She added that a joint committee would offer the opportunity to analyse the situation in more detail, taking into account the cost and the number of families affected. Arendt concluded that she would like to discuss the issue with parents who do shift work as well before coming to a decision.
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