As fellow expat moms, we know that making decisions about childcare in a foreign country can feel overwhelming, especially if you are arranging it while still living in another country and you do not speak the local language (yet).

We understand. We have been there ourselves – spending countless hours researching, reading forums, and trying to navigate the available options. Summit Eduction is our way of sharing our knowledge and experiences to help you feel more confident in your decision-making process.

So, are you relocating to Zürich, Switzerland, and looking for daycare (Kita) in the Zürich area?

Let us help you. Keep reading, and find out how to browse through all licensed daycare centers / Kitas and find the best Kita in Zürich for your child.

Canton of Zürich – Official daycare center / Kita directory

The city of Zürich has an official online directory of all licensed Kitas. This user-friendly and interactive map on the website of the city of Zürich shows all licensed Kitas. You can browse the directory and find more information about each respective Kita.

As of May 2025, there are 351 Kitas listed in the directory. Together, they offer over 12,000 childcare spots.

You can select your preferred Kita on the map and navigate directly to their website. Find the interactive map that shows all Kitas in Zürich here: maps.stadt-zuerich.ch

Kitas on the map are color coded:

• Blue: City owned Kita, offering subsidized places.
  
  
• Green: Private Kita, offering subsidized places.
  
  
• Red: Private Kita, no subsidized places.
  
  
• Red frame: Kita with German language learning support.

Using the Zürich Kita Directory to find the best Kita

In the Zürich Kita directory, you can also find out whether the Kita:

• Is private, or managed by the city
  
  
  • There are two types of Kitas in Zürich; city Kitas managed by the city of Zürich (Stadteigene Kitas) and private Kitas (Private Kitas).
    
    
  • As per May 2025, there are 340 licensed private Kitas in Zürich. Most private Kitas in Zürich have one or two locations.
    
    
  • As per May 2025, the city of Zürich operates 11 city Kitas at 10 locations. City Kitas are operated by the city’s Childcare Department (Stadt Zürich – Soziale Einrichtungen und Betriebe, Geschäftsbereich Kinderbetreuung).
    
    If you are looking for a Kita operated by the city of Zürich (Stadteigene Kita), you can find more information about the city Kitas here: www.stadt-zuerich.ch
    
    
• Offers a German Language Learning program
  
  
• Offers subsidized spots (Subventionierte Kita)
  
  
• Has a ‘somersault’ certification (Purzelbaum)
  
  
  • Some Kitas in Zürich have a “somersault” (Burzelbaum / Purzelbaum) certification. This certification confirms the Kita acknowledges the importance of exercise and healthy nutrition for children’s development. The concept focusses on simple methods to integrate a variety of exercise options, as well as healthy nutrition, into the daycare routine.
    

Important tip about finding a Kita in Zürich

A recommendation for families with children who do not speak German yet, is to look for a Kita that participates in the “Well prepared in kindergarten” (“Gut vorbereitet in den Kindergarten”) program that helps children with German language learning (Deutschförderung).

List of Kitas in Zürich – Kitas with more than five locations in Zürich

If you are looking for a Kita in Zürich, and prefer to go with a larger Kita, then we recommend you use the list below. It shows some of the larger Kitas with their number of locations in Zürich in parentheses:

• Globegarden: https://www.globegarden.ch/ (33)
  
  
• Association GFZ: https://gfz-zh.ch/unsere-kitas/ (17)
  
  
• Güxi : https://www.guexi.ch/ (10)
  
  
• Unsere champions : https://unsere-champions.ch/standorte/ (10)  
  
  
• Kids & co: https://www.kidsco.ch/kita/kitas-region-zuerich (10)
  
  
• Bambi: https://www.kinderkrippe-bambi.ch/de/kinderkrippen/standorte (9)
  
  
• Association kihz ETZ Zürich – Universität Zürich: https://www.kihz.uzh.ch/de/kitas.html (8)
  
  
• Parent association grow together (gemeinsam wachsen): https://grow2gether.ch/ (7)
  
  
• Pop e poppa: https://www.popepoppa.ch/de/kitas-zuerich/ (6)
  
  
• Kita Fugu: https://www.kitafugu.ch/#diekrippen (6)
  
  
• Krippe Kinderparadies: https://www.krippekinderparadies.ch/ (5)
  
  
• Kita Bethanien: https://kitas-bethanien.ch/ (5)
  
  
  

National Daycare Center Directories in Switzerland

Besides the city of Zürich map, there are three national websites you can use to find daycare centers / Kitas and other forms of childcare in Switzerland. We find the information on the Zürich map to be more consistent and very easy to use, but the map features on the websites below are really helpful as well.
We recommend the following websites:

Childcare Switzerland (Kinderbetreuung Schweiz)

• kinderbetreuung-schweiz.ch
  

Kita Online (Kinderkrippen Online)

• https://www.kinderkrippen-online.ch/kinderbetreuung

Swiss Childcare Association (VerbandKinderbetreuung Schweiz; kibesuisse)

• kibesuisse.ch to see the Google Map overview, or

• kibesuisse.ch/mitglied for the complete list of Kitas by region in Switzerland.
  
  
  

We recommend you start your Kita search using the resources and websites listed above and become familiar with the Kitas around your new home or workplace. Happy exploring!


We hope this article has answered all your questions and given you insight into the Kita options available in Zürich.

If you have any further questions about finding a Kita in Zürich, or would like personalized recommendations, please feel free to reach out to our team at Summit Education.

We are here to support families every step of the way on their journey to finding the best Kita in Zürich.

Related: Daycare / Kita in Switzerland – minimum attendance and opening hours