How will the chèque-service accueil change in Luxembourg?

The reform of the chèque-service accueil (CSA), one of the key instruments of Luxembourg's family policy, is entering a new phase. On 12 January 2026, Minister of Education Claude Meisch presented a package of measures that simultaneously addresses family finances, the availability of places in the childcare system and the quality of care itself. Essentially, this involves a reboot of the model that has been in place since 2008, taking into account the changed social and economic realities.

According to the minister, the main focus is on quality. The authorities are guided by a simple logic: high-quality care in the informal education system directly affects a child's emotional development, language and learning skills. Therefore, the reform provides for investment in qualified personnel, systematic retraining, improving the status and remuneration of childcare assistants, as well as additional resources for healthy and balanced nutrition. Quality here is not seen as an abstract slogan, but as a set of specific conditions — from staffing levels to daily practices.

CSA has long played the role of a social elevator. The introduction in 2017 of partial free access (20 hours) for younger children and complete free access for schoolchildren in maisons relais from 2022 has made access to informal education virtually universal. Regardless of family income or the language spoken at home, children are given the opportunity to start from the same position. At the same time, the system makes it easier to combine work and family life, reducing the risk of child poverty — a problem that remains sensitive even in prosperous countries.

The financial side of the reform will have a particularly noticeable impact on family budgets. The state will cover two-thirds of the costs that were previously paid by parents. Depending on household income, the savings could amount to several thousand euros per year. The updated CSA scale will take income levels into account more accurately, which should strengthen targeted support and further reduce child poverty. In total, the government estimates that families will save around €79 million annually.

At the same time, uniform and more transparent billing rules will be introduced. All childcare facilities will apply the same pricing without additional fees or "hidden" surcharges. Payment will be linked to the actual hours the child is enrolled, rather than to fixed packages, which should eliminate imbalances and make costs predictable for parents.

A separate, strategically important point is the promise to guarantee a place in the care system for every child who needs it by 2030. To this end, the state is increasing hourly funding for facilities from €6 to €7 per child, introducing a new form of compensation for all institutions from 2027, and adding subsidies for renting premises. This is an attempt to ensure the financial stability of a sector that has faced rising costs and staff shortages in recent years.

The reform also affects the management of the system. Increased control, uniform rules and clearer accountability should ensure that public funds truly serve the public mission of non-formal education. In this context, a new state agency is being created – the Agency for Quality Development in the Childhood and Youth Sectors (AQUEN). Its tasks will include improving quality, pedagogical innovation and the professionalisation of all participants in the system.