Raising kids in a country where you didn’t grow up will inevitably bring concerns, trials or at the very least surprises--but Luxembourg presents a particularly unique place for it. The language question alone is disorienting: Luxembourg schoolchildren may (at a minimum) speak Luxembourgish at home, German in primary school and French in secondary school. Straightforward enough for local trilingual parents, perhaps, but for outsiders… daunting. Beyond that, you have educational cultures, daycare norms and social activities bent into distinct shapes, which may all take some getting used to.
Qualms aside, however, the country is a wonderful place to have and raise children. What is particularly striking for somebody who grew up in the US like me--though surely from an objective standpoint too--is the amount of support granted to parents. Timewise, mothers get three months’ leave from their employer after childbirth; fathers 10 days. Both parents may also get an extended period of paid leave, e.g., six months full-time or a year part-time.
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Earlier this year, the 10-day paternity leave was extended to same-sex couples and self-employed workers, suggesting that achieving equality is of ongoing interest at legislative levels.
Moneywise, taxpayers can deduct up to €5,400 per year for childcare/assistance services, while childcare service vouchers (CSAs) enable children up to 12 to benefit from reduced rates at day-care centres, hostels or other venues that meet certain quality standards. In April 2022, Luxembourg furthermore became the first country in Europe to make music education free for kids (as well as theatre, dance, choir and diction classes).
Beyond all that, the country consistently ranks high in safety indices and, speaking anecdotally… is just really nice. Playgrounds, swimming classes, ropes courses--it isn’t only that you have them, it’s that the one nearest to you is inevitably run to a high standard. Other countries are often marked by funding discrepancies that fall on geographical lines, such as a poor inner city and an affluent suburb, but in Luxembourg these divides aren’t felt very strongly. From city to village, you’ll find similar facilities.
And that extends to schools too, since the public system trains its teachers centrally. To circle back to languages, kids have even been known to master a couple of new ones after starting at public school--just another facet of life in the grand duchy.
Over the coming week, we’ll delve more into issues that impact families in Luxembourg--from education and helping youngsters with special needs, pre- and postnatal fitness programmes and more.