Sophia Antipolis - Child care and baby-sitting

Nursery
Nanny or child minder
Nanny at home
Day nursery
Baby sitting

Nursery ("crèches" for working parents)
You have the possibility take your child to the nursery (crèche). Nurseries have a very good reputation in France, the staff is very competent, they have many toys and do lots of activities with the children (painting, gymnastic, reading, puppet show…). The nurseries are controlled by the PMI (Centre de Protection Maternelle et Infantile), which verifies the cleanliness of the place e.g.  A pediatrician visits every month to see each child.
Opening hours are from 7.00 am until 7.00 p.m. Monday to Friday and they are open during school holidays, except in August.
The price you pay depends on your income. In France there aren't enough nursery places for children between the ages of 3 months and 3 years, so you have to be registered before you even think about inscribing a baby!!
In Sophia-Antipolis are two municipal nurseries and the registration must be done at the town hall.

• Crèche de GarbejaireAllée de Pompidou
  06560
  Valbonne
  Sophia-Antipolis
  France
  Tel: + 33 (0) 4 9365 2452 
  Municipal nursery
• Les canailloux
  21 Traverse du Barri
  06560
  Valbonne
  France
  Tel: + 33 (0)4 9395 8373
  A “crèche parentale” run by parents
• Mrs Matossian
  2555, route de Biot
  Valbonne
  06560
  France
  Tel: + 33 (0) 4 9234 0650
  A "Crèche familiale" or family nursery run by nannies Crèche familiale
• Crèche de l’Ile Verte
  2555, route de Biot
  Valbonne
  06560
  France
  Tel: + 33 (0) 4 9234 0650
  Municipal nursery

Nanny or child minder (assistante maternelle)
The nanny looks after one to three children in their own home. They are controlled by the PMI (Centre de Protection Maternelle et Infantile). In order to have the list of the nannies call:

• “le Relais des Assistantes Maternelles RAM”
  Sophia-Antipolis
  Tel: + 33 (0) 4 9300 3577
  The cost for a nanny is between 460 and 610 euros per a month.

A nanny at home
A nanny can be found quite easily. They are not registered, but if they have children of their own they should have the experience! To find a nanny, put an ad in the local newspaper “Nice-Matin”.
The price for a nanny is minimum the French SMIC. You have the possibility to pay a person employed to work at home with the “chèque emploi service”. The cheque serves as a pay slip and includes social contributions. You need to ask at your French bank or “Direction Départemantale du Travail et de l’Emploi” for these cheques and have more information about its reglementation.

“Jeune fille au pair”
If you need somebody at home to look after your children you can employ a “jeune fille au pair” or a nanny, who would live in your house.
A “jeune fille au pair” is most of the time a foreign student who wants to learn the language. She should have an au pair visa for one year. She can obtain it at the consulate of her country. You will have to negotiate the price directly with her.
You can find a “jeune fille au pair” at the following addresses:

• "Jeune fille au pair” Fleurs de Provence
  Galerie du Port
  Antibes
  06600
  France
  Tel: + 33 (0) 4 9208 1444
• Alliance Culturelle Internationale au pair
  4, rue Félix Faure
  Nice
  06000
  France
  Tel: + 33 (0) 4 9313 4413
•  Direction Départementale du Travail et de l’Emploi
  Route de Grenoble
  Nice
  06206
  France
  Tel: + 33 (0)4 9373 7600

Day nursery (halte-garderie)
If you stay home with your child you can choose to leave him/her at the day nursery one time or three times maximum per week.
Day nurseries in Sophia-Antipolis:

• Halte-garderie-Village
  La Vignasse
  173 route de Grasse
  Valbonne
  06560
  France
  Tel: + 33 (0) 4 9312 1139
  Day nursery managed by the town hall
• Halte-garderie de l’Ile Verte
  2550, route de Biot
  Valbonne
  06560
  France
  Tel: + 33 (0) 4 9294 0012
  Managed by parents
• Halte-garderie Garbejaire
  Allée Pompidou
  Sophia-Antipolis
  06560
  France
  Tel: + 33 (0) 4 9365 2463
  Day nursery managed by the town hall

Baby-sitting
In Sophia-Antipolis, it’s quite easy to find a babysitter. Ask teenagers around your neighbourhood, at work e.g.). Or put an ad up at school, at the nursery or the kindergarten.

There is a babysitting agency in Nice called “Rêves d’Enfants”. You can call them from Monday to Saturday (9 a.m. to 19 p.m.) at the following number:
Tel: + 33 (0) 6 0950 4023
The price per hour is around 6 Euros, for all day 46 Euros and for the night 49 Euros.