In France, there are different facilities (collective or individual care, regular or occasional care) that make it possible to arrange care for children (aged from 0 to 3) when parents make the choice to continue working. However, there is often great demand for these facilities and it is therefore important to plan care for children as early as possible and even before arrival in France.

Below you will find the wide range of child care arrangements offered by the city of Montpellier.

The Prest’O application enable pre-enrolment in municipal facilities such as crèches, daycare centres and leisure centres.

To meet childcare needs, the municipality has set up different facilities that provide care for children until they enter pre-school and even until the age of 6 in certain facilities.

The municipal facilities

Collective crèches are managed by the city of Montpellier. They provide full-time or part-time care for children aged under 3 whose parents are at work.
These institutions are managed by State qualified female child carers and teams of professionals: early childhood educators, assistant child carers, etc.
These institutions are open all day from 7.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. from Monday to Friday (closed for one month in the summer and one week at the end of the year). Meals are prepared on-site.

Consult the directory of collective crèches in Montpellier

Family crèches are managed by the city of Montpellier. They consist of a team of female childminders accredited by the Regional Council and employed by the municipal authority. They provide care for one to three children aged under 3 or children aged under 6 on a temporary pre-school or after-school basis.
Care available from Monday to Friday from 7.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m..

Consult the directory of family crèches

Baby and toddler centres are small and medium-sized facilities, open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. that receive between 20 and 45 children from 3 months to 3 years old on a whole day or half-day, regular or occasional basis. They can receive children aged under 6 on a temporary pre-school or after-school basis.
Enrolment takes place at the Prest’O desk either at the local town hall or municipal authority.
The cost is calculated irrespective of the child care arrangement, income, family situation and the number of dependent children.

Consult the directory of baby and toddler centres (daycare centres)

Nurseries are managed by the city of Montpellier and provide care for children aged from 2 to 4, on a regular care basis (signature of a formalisation of the care application between the family and the Direction de l’Enfance at the Service d’Accueil de l’Enfant et de sa Famille) and on a pre-school and after-school basis on Wednesdays and during school holidays for children aged from 4 to 6.
Nurseries are headed by an early childhood educator assisted by a qualified team with a regulated number of members: educator, assistant child carers, service staff.
They provide care for children from Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (closed for one month in the summer and one week at the end of the year). Meals are provided by the school meals service.

Consult the directory of nurseries

The other facilities and care arrangements

Parent-run and community crèches are managed by an association of parents and professionals.
These institutions are subsidised by the City of Montpellier and accredited in the context of a Contrat enfance (Childhood Contract) signed between the City and the Caisse d’allocations familiales (Family Allowances Fund).

Privately managed institutions :

  • multi accueil d'entreprises
  • E.A.R.C. ET SAF hospitalier
  • Multi accueil du Conseil Général
  • Multi accueil de la Caisse des Allocations Familiales   

They are accredited by the Conseil Général de l’Hérault and provide care in their homes during the day for one to three children aged under 4.

Female childminders have a recognised professional status and are paid by the parent employers. Parents may be entitled to financial assistance paid by the CAF.

You can obtain their addresses and other additional information (employment, remuneration, leave, etc.) from the six childminder services in the city run by early childhood professionals.

This new service is provided for in the contrat Enfance (Childhood Contract) and is partly funded by the City, the Conseil Général and the Caisse d’Allocations Familiales. It is run by early childhood professionals and is intended to connect parents with independent female childminders. The RAM is a centre for information, meeting up and discussion. It aims to improve the quality of care for children at home and to maintain a list of free places

These are people who look after one or more children in the parents’ home (possibility to share care between families to reduce costs). This care arrangement means that the child is able to remain in his or her family setting. Two options are available to families who wish to use this service :

 1) They become a direct employer or use an agent company, to act in their place

 2) They make direct use of a company providing the service

In both cases, you will be entitled to the home child care allowance (PAJE measure) and a tax reduction of 50% on the sums paid. Institutions with accreditation also provide ad hoc care: after school and child care institutions, sick child, school support

Where to find more information?

Department for Childhood

Municipal Services

  • Early childhood : 04 67 34 70 61
  • Opening hours
    Monday to Friday from 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.

  • Opening hours of the social section
    Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

  • Adress: 1 Place Georges Frêche, 34267 Montpellier

Where to enrol?

It is advisable to place your child on the waiting list of the Department for Childhood for municipal institutions when you reach the 4th month of pregnancy.

Several registration sites available:

Bandeau BasDePage 2020

Back to top