Quick answer
GIAP is Geneva’s public after-school care system for children in public schools. It provides supervised lunchtime and after-school care, mainly on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Parents need to register in advance through my.giap.ch, and late applications can sometimes mean waiting around three months before care begins.
If your child attends a public school in Geneva, you will probably come across the word parascolaire very quickly.
This is Geneva’s system of supervised care outside normal classroom hours, mainly at lunchtime and after school. It is run by the GIAP - Groupement intercommunal pour l’animation parascolaire across much of the canton.
For families new to Geneva, the system can seem more complicated than it really is because you suddenly encounter terms like GIAP, parascolaire, restaurant scolaire, my.giap.ch and e-démarches all at once.
If you are still sorting out the wider practical side of a move, our new-to-Geneva practical services guide covers health care, family support and everyday administration in English.
The good news is that once you understand the terminology and the registration deadlines, the system is fairly straightforward.
What is GIAP in Geneva?
GIAP is the organisation responsible for most public-school childcare outside normal school hours in Geneva.
It looks after tens of thousands of children across the canton, with supervised activities including games, creative activities, sport and quieter time around the school day.
If another parent tells you that their child “goes to parascolaire”, this is usually what they mean.
The service is designed mainly for families who need childcare during the lunch break and after school while parents are working or otherwise unavailable.
Can every child in a Geneva public school use GIAP?
Generally, yes.
Children attending Geneva public schools can normally use GIAP services once they have been properly registered for the days and care periods required.
This is useful for newcomers because you do not usually need to find a completely separate private after-school club simply because your child attends a public school.
You do, however, need to register in advance, and the start of care must be confirmed by GIAP after the registration process is complete.
What hours does after-school care run in Geneva?
GIAP’s standard care periods are built around the Geneva school day.
The main periods are:
- Morning care: around 07:00-08:00 in certain schools
- Lunch care: approximately 11:30-13:30
- After-school care: approximately 16:00-18:00
Morning care is not offered everywhere and is mainly available in selected schools.
Lunch and afternoon care are the main GIAP services used by most families.
There is generally no standard GIAP parascolaire on Wednesdays, when Geneva schools operate a different weekly timetable. The normal days of operation are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday during school terms.
Does GIAP include school lunch?
GIAP supervises children during the lunch period, but the actual meal is usually billed separately.
This is an important distinction.
The GIAP charge covers the supervision and care during lunchtime. The cost of the meal itself is normally handled separately through the relevant school restaurant or municipality.
So if your child stays for lunch, you should expect two possible charges:
- GIAP lunchtime supervision
- the school meal itself
The exact meal arrangements can vary depending on the commune and school.
How much does GIAP after-school care cost in 2026-27?
For the 2026-27 school year, GIAP’s standard monthly tariff depends mainly on how many days per week your child attends and whether they use lunchtime or afternoon care.
Typical standard monthly rates are:
| Days per week | Lunch care | After-school care |
|---|---|---|
| 1 day | CHF 30 | CHF 40 |
| 2 days | CHF 60 | CHF 80 |
| 3 days | CHF 90 | CHF 120 |
| 4 days | CHF 120 | CHF 160 |
Morning care, where available, is charged separately at CHF 20, CHF 40, CHF 60 or CHF 80 per month for one to four days per week.
These are standard rates before any income-based or sibling reductions.
The cost of the school lunch itself is not included in these figures.
GIAP also publishes separate daily rates for exceptional attendance. For 2026-27, these are approximately CHF 12.45 for lunch and CHF 16.65 for after-school care. An income-based reduction does not generally apply to exceptional attendance.
Can families get a discount on GIAP fees?
Yes.
GIAP applies income-based reductions for eligible families, meaning lower-income households can pay less than the standard tariff. A sibling reduction may also apply automatically when more than one child from the same family is registered.
The amount of the reduction depends on household financial circumstances and the rules in force for the school year.
Families should apply through the GIAP system and provide the required financial information. For a new registration during the school year, GIAP says the reduction request should normally be submitted within 15 days of registration.
The GIAP reduction applies to parascolaire care. Meal reductions are handled separately by the commune or school restaurant service.
How do I register my child for GIAP?
Registration is normally completed through my.giap.ch.
For most families, the process is:
- Create a verified Geneva e-démarches account.
- Log in to my.giap.ch.
- Add or select your child.
- Choose the days and care periods you need.
- Provide any required medical or practical information.
- Submit the registration.
- Wait for GIAP confirmation.
A verified e-démarches account usually only needs to be created once.
You do not need a new account every school year, but the GIAP subscription itself needs to be renewed for each school year.
What is an e-démarches account?
Geneva’s e-démarches system is the canton’s online account for accessing government and administrative services.
Parents often encounter it when dealing with GIAP, but the same account can also be useful for other Geneva administrative procedures.
For GIAP registration, the account needs to be verified.
If you are new to Geneva, it is worth setting this up early rather than waiting until you urgently need after-school care.
What if I cannot get a Geneva e-démarches account?
There is an alternative.
Some parents may not be able to create a standard verified e-démarches account immediately.
This can affect, for example, certain international civil servants, newly arrived residents or people whose Swiss administrative situation is still being processed.
In these cases, GIAP advises parents to contact its central registration service directly. The current contact details are parascolaire@giap.ch and +41 22 304 57 70.
This is particularly useful for newly arrived international families who may not yet have all their local paperwork in place.
When should I register for GIAP?
As early as possible.
GIAP normally opens a main registration period in spring for the following school year.
For the 2026-27 school year, the official registration period ran from 23 March to 28 April 2026.
Registering during the official period gives GIAP time to plan staffing for the following school year.
You can still register later, but this is where problems can arise.
What happens if I register for GIAP late?
You may have to wait before your child can start.
GIAP can apply a délai de carence, or waiting period, to registrations made after the main annual registration period.
This is because additional staff may need to be recruited or assigned before more children can be accepted safely into a particular care location.
The waiting period can be around three months.
For example, under the current 2026-27 schedule, an application made in late August or September may not necessarily result in care starting immediately.
This is probably the single most important thing for newly arriving families to know.
If you are moving to Geneva during the school year, do not assume you can register your child on Friday and start after-school care on Monday.
Can GIAP waive the waiting period if we have just moved to Geneva?
Sometimes, but it is not automatic.
GIAP can consider certain situations individually. The official conditions refer to particular circumstances in which the waiting period may be lifted.
If you have moved to Geneva unexpectedly, started a new job or have an urgent childcare problem, it is worth explaining your circumstances.
The final decision remains with GIAP.
Until your child’s start date has been formally confirmed, you should not assume that occasional attendance is possible.
Can I change the days my child attends GIAP?
Yes.
Parents can normally modify an existing GIAP subscription through my.giap.ch.
This can be useful if your working hours change or if you no longer need care on a certain day.
Changes need to be submitted in advance. GIAP says that a change made by the 24th of the month can normally take effect on the first day of the following month.
It is better to update the subscription rather than repeatedly relying on occasional attendance if your new schedule is going to continue.
Can my child attend GIAP only occasionally?
In some circumstances, yes.
GIAP allows exceptional or occasional attendance in certain situations, but the daily cost is higher than the standard subscription rate.
For 2026-27, published exceptional-attendance rates include approximately:
- Lunch: CHF 12.45 per day
- After school: CHF 16.65 per day
Income-based reductions generally do not apply in the same way to exceptional attendance.
If you regularly need an extra day, it usually makes more sense to change the normal subscription.
Can my child leave GIAP early?
There are rules around early collection and children leaving alone.
Younger children normally need to be collected by an authorised adult.
Older primary-school children may be permitted to leave by themselves if the correct parental authorisation has been provided.
GIAP also sets standard times for early collection during the afternoon period.
These rules are designed to prevent children constantly coming and going during organised activities and to make sure staff know exactly who is responsible for each child.
What happens if my child is absent from GIAP?
Parents should notify GIAP when their child will not attend.
Absences and some exceptional attendance requests can normally be managed through the GIAP online system.
There are also rules linking school attendance and parascolaire attendance.
For example, if your child was absent from school during the part of the day immediately before a GIAP session, they may not normally attend the corresponding GIAP period.
If your child is ill, keeping both the school and GIAP informed avoids confusion.
Does GIAP operate during Geneva school holidays?
No.
Normal GIAP parascolaire operates during the school term.
It does not replace holiday childcare during Geneva’s official school holidays.
Families who need childcare during autumn, Christmas, February, Easter or summer holidays need to look separately at:
- municipal holiday programmes
- sports camps
- cultural activities
- private holiday clubs
- childcare offered by local associations
This is another area where newcomers can get caught out if they assume “after-school care” automatically continues during school holidays.
For warm-weather school-holiday ideas, see our Geneva guide for families in hot weather or these broader good-weather ideas in Geneva.
Is GIAP open on Wednesdays?
Generally, no.
Wednesday is different from the rest of the Geneva school week, and standard GIAP lunchtime and after-school care does not operate in the same way as Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
Families who need Wednesday childcare usually have to look at other options such as sports clubs, activity programmes, municipal services or private care.
Is GIAP the same as a crèche?
No.
A crèche is childcare for younger children before they begin compulsory school.
GIAP is for children who are already attending Geneva public schools and need care around the school day.
If your child has not yet started school, you need the preschool childcare system rather than GIAP.
Is GIAP the same as a school canteen?
Not exactly.
GIAP supervises children during the lunchtime period, but the food itself is normally provided through a separate school restaurant or municipal arrangement.
This is why parents can see separate charges for lunch supervision and the actual meal.
The term restaurant scolaire usually refers to the school meal service, while GIAP parascolaire refers to the childcare and supervision.
What should new families in Geneva do first?
If you already know your child will need lunchtime or after-school care, GIAP should be one of the first administrative tasks you deal with.
A sensible order is:
Register your child for school → create your e-démarches account → register for GIAP → organise school meals → apply for any GIAP fee reduction.
The biggest mistake is waiting until your child has already started school before investigating childcare.
Because late GIAP registrations can involve a waiting period, sorting it early can save a lot of stress.
Is GIAP worth using?
For many working families, yes.
It is integrated into the public-school system, usually operates at or close to the child’s school, and is considerably cheaper than arranging private childcare for several afternoons each week.
For children, it also has the advantage of being familiar. They are usually spending time with classmates or other children from the same school rather than travelling to another childcare location.
The main drawback is that registration deadlines matter.
Families who arrive midway through the school year can find themselves needing temporary childcare while waiting for a GIAP place to become active.
What are the most important things to know about GIAP?
If you only remember five things:
- GIAP provides Geneva public-school lunchtime and after-school care.
- It operates mainly on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
- Parents normally register through my.giap.ch using a verified e-démarches account.
- Late registration can mean waiting around three months before care begins.
- Income-based reductions are available, and school meals are normally billed separately.
For families settling into Geneva, GIAP is one of those systems that initially looks bureaucratic but becomes fairly straightforward once you understand the terminology, deadlines and online registration process.
Where can I find official GIAP information?
For current registration dates, prices and operating rules, always check the official sources.
Official sources and further reading
GIAP - Frequently Asked Questions
Canton of Geneva - Parascolaire information
Canton of Geneva - School holidays
Last updated: 9 September 2026. GIAP tariffs, registration periods and operating rules can change, so check the official GIAP website before making childcare arrangements.
FAQ
What is GIAP in Geneva?
GIAP is Geneva’s public-school parascolaire service. It provides supervised care around the school day, especially at lunchtime and after school, with morning care available in some schools.
How much does GIAP cost?
For 2026-27, standard monthly care costs CHF 30-120 for lunch care and CHF 40-160 for after-school care, depending on one to four days per week. Morning care, where available, costs CHF 20-80 per month. School meals are billed separately, and eligible families may receive reductions.
How do I register my child for GIAP?
Create a verified Geneva e-démarches account, then register through my.giap.ch. Choose the days and care periods you need, provide any required information and wait until GIAP confirms that the registration is complete.
What happens if I register late?
GIAP can apply an approximately three-month waiting period to registrations made outside the main annual registration period. The registration is recorded, but care cannot start until GIAP confirms the start date.
Does GIAP include school lunch?
No. GIAP covers supervision during the lunch period. The school meal is a separate charge handled by the relevant commune or school restaurant service.
Is GIAP open on Wednesdays?
Generally, no. Standard GIAP parascolaire operates on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday during school terms. Families needing Wednesday childcare need to arrange another option.
Does GIAP operate during school holidays?
No. Normal GIAP parascolaire runs during school terms, not during Geneva’s official school holidays. Holiday programmes and camps need to be arranged separately.
Can every child in a Geneva public school use GIAP?
Generally, yes. Children attending Geneva public schools can use GIAP once they are registered and the registration has been validated. The available care periods depend on the school and the subscription requested.