Association EFAJE

What Association EFAJE does

Association EFAJE (Association pour l'Entraide Familiale et l'Accueil de Jour des Enfants du Gros-de-Vaud et environs) is a non-profit intercommunal association founded on December 12, 2007 in response to the cantonal Loi sur l'Accueil de Jour des Enfants (LAJE 2006), headquartered in Echallens, Switzerland. It operates as the mandated intercommunal coordinator for childcare across 31 communes of the Gros-de-Vaud district plus the commune of Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, serving a population of over 45,000 inhabitants. The association delivers three integrated care modalities: (1) Accueil Familial de Jour (AFJ), coordinating approximately 75 licensed family childminders (AMF) providing roughly 500 authorized places for home-based childcare; (2) 9 preschools/garderies (Arc-en-Ciel, des Ateliers, de Budron, du Château, de l'Etang, des Fontaines, L'Hirondelle, Perlimpinpin, Rêv'eil Matin) caring for children aged 0-4 years; and (3) 20 before/after-school care units (UAPE) co-located with primary schools for children aged 4-12 (1P-8P). The technology footprint is minimal: a centralized online registration and waitlist portal at inscription.efaje.ch manages placement requests across all care modalities, with 3-month request validity.

The business model is a hybrid public funding structure. Revenue flows from two principal streams: sliding-scale parental fees based on household income, days, and hours of care consumed (regulated under LAJE and capped at average EFAJE care cost), and intercommunal contributions from the 31+ member communes as the primary structural financing. The association is governed by a Board of Directors (Conseil d'Administration) composed of communal representatives and an executive committee (CODIR) led by Director General Olivier Simon, with 82 employees. The mandate grants exclusive regional coordination authority, creating a structural barrier to entry. A 2023 partnership with the Orllati Group represents the first notable external corporate alliance since the 2015 withdrawal of DIVESA (Assura SA's community of interest). The Garderie du Château in Echallens, scheduled to open October 2026 with 44 places, signals continued capacity expansion aligned with demographic growth in the district.

Name

Association EFAJE

Legal name

Association EFAJE (Association pour l'Entraide Familiale et l'Accueil de Jour des Enfants du Gros-de-Vaud et environs)

Website

https://efaje.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Association EFAJE is a Swiss non-profit intercommunal association, founded 2007, that coordinates childcare across 31+ communes in the Gros-de-Vaud district, serving 45,000+ residents through 75+ family childminders, 9 preschools, and 20 after-school care facilities under the cantonal LAJE mandate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Childcare Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDACAEAF

Mixed-Age / Sibling Group Home Daycare

Education/Early Childhood Education/Home-Based Childcare (Family Daycare)

SECONDARYEDACAHAA

School-Age Wraparound Care (Ages 3–5)

Education/Early Childhood Education/Before & After School Care (Early Years)

SECONDARYEDACAGAD

Home-Based Infant & Toddler Care (Family Daycare)

Education/Early Childhood Education/Infant & Toddler Care Programs

SECONDARYEDACAEAE

Preschool-Age Home Daycare (3–5 years)

Education/Early Childhood Education/Home-Based Childcare (Family Daycare)

Keywords

• Childcare services
• Preschool daycare
• After-school care
• Family day care
• Intercommunal association

Headquarters

HQ city

Echallens

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Childcare fees (parental contributions): Fees are calculated based on household income using a sliding scale. Families pay the structure of coordination directly for hours of childcare consumed. The maximum rate does not exceed the average cost of care within EFAJE. Municipal subsidies are embedded in the tariff to reduce costs for lower-income families.
2. Municipal contributions (intercommunal funding): As an intercommunal association mandated by its member communes, EFAJE receives funding from the 31 communes of the Gros-de-Vaud district plus Le Mont-sur-Lausanne. This constitutes the primary structural financing of the association's operations alongside parent fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Association EFAJE coordinates a network of three integrated childcare modalities for families in 31+ communes of the Gros-de-Vaud region (Canton de Vaud, Switzerland): Family Day Care (Accueil Familial de Jour) via ~75 licensed home-based childminders offering ~500 places; 9 preschool/daycare centers (Garderies) for children aged 0–4; and 20 before/after-school care units (UAPE) for school-age children. Parents register through a centralized online portal and pay income-based sliding-scale fees.

Product overview

Association EFAJE operates a comprehensive childcare network serving the Gros-de-Vaud region with three integrated service streams: (1) Family-Based Day Care (Accueil Familial de Jour) coordinating approximately 75 approved childcare providers offering around 500 authorized places; (2) 9 Preschools (Garderies) including Arc-en-Ciel, des Ateliers, de Budron, du Château, de l'Etang, des Fontaines, L'Hirondelle, Perlimpinpin, and Rêv'eil Matin; and (3) 20 After-School Care Units (UAPE) distributed across member communes. The association provides centralized online registration through its inscription.efaje.ch portal and serves families in 32 communes covering over 45,000 residents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accueil Familial de Jour (AFJ) Family-based day care coordination service that matches families with approximately 75 approved, licensed childcare providers (accueillant-e-s en milieu familial / AMF) who welcome children into their homes. Provides approximately 500 authorized places (around 280 day care placements and 190 school-age places) across all member communes in the network, for children aged 14 weeks to 12 years.
• Inscription en ligne (Online Registration System) Centralized online waiting list registration system allowing families to register children for preschool (garderie) and parascolary (UAPE) care across all EFAJE member communes. Registrations have a 3-month validity period requiring renewal, and the portal manages placement status across all three care types.
• Garderie Arc-en-Ciel Preschool daycare facility offering 20 childcare places for older children (Grands), located in the Le Mont-sur-Lausanne area.
• Garderie des Ateliers Preschool daycare facility situated on the Olbis les Ateliers site in Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, serving children from end of maternity leave to school entry age.
• Garderie de Budron Preschool daycare facility opened in 2009 offering 44 childcare places, established through partnership with DIVESA group (Assura). Located in Le Mont-sur-Lausanne.
• Garderie de l'Etang Preschool daycare opened August 2017 offering 64 places organized across four sectors by age group. Located in Etagnières.
• Garderie des Fontaines Preschool daycare opened October 2013 serving Jorat plateau families, offering 44 childcare places. Located in Villars-Tiercelin.
• Garderie L'Hirondelle Preschool daycare facility established in 2007 offering 20 childcare places. Located in Bercher.
• Garderie Perlimpinpin Preschool daycare opened in 2005, open Monday to Friday 07h00-18h30. Located in Bettens, serving children from end of maternity leave to school entry.
• Garderie Rêv'eil Matin Preschool daycare established in 1999 under Entraide Familiale d'Echallens, relocated in 2006 with 44 places including 10 nursery spots. Located in Echallens.
• UAPE Les Aventuriers After-school care unit established 2009 offering 18 places for school-age children. Located in Oulens-sous-Echallens.
• UAPE Bercher After-school care unit opened 2016 with 24 places. Located in Bercher, open Monday-Friday 07h00-18h30.
• UAPE Bretigny After-school care unit opened 2017 in new school building. Located in Bretigny-sur-Morrens.
• UAPE Clochatte After-school care unit opened 2016 offering 48 places for children at Martines school college. Located in Le Mont-sur-Lausanne.
• UAPE Crétalaison After-school care unit opened August 2022 in Crétalaison school college. Located in Le Mont-sur-Lausanne.
• UAPE Cugy After-school care unit opened 2013 in communal pavilion with expanded capacity to 72 places. Located in Cugy.
• UAPE Essertines After-school care unit opened late September 2020 in modular building, offering up to 60 places. Located in Essertines-sur-Yverdon.
• UAPE Etagnières After-school care unit opened August 2016 with 72 places, dimensioned for Etagnières school site. Located in Etagnières.
• UAPE Froideville After-school care unit opened 2013 with 24 places, expanded in 2014 to 72 places with new building. Located in Froideville.
• UAPE Goumoens After-school care unit opened August 2020 offering 60 places in renovated former school building. Located in Goumoëns-la-Ville.
• UAPE Grand-Mont After-school care unit opened August 2017 offering 48 places on La Paix du Soir Association site. Located in Le Mont-sur-Lausanne.
• UAPE Morrens After-school care unit opened summer 2019 in provisional village school location, relocated August 2022 to modular elements. Located in Morrens.
• UAPE Les Moussaillons After-school care unit opened 2011 with 12 childcare places. Located in St-Cierges.
• UAPE Pailly After-school care unit opened August 2017 for school children. Located in Pailly, open Monday-Friday 07h00-18h30 (closed Wednesday).
• UAPE Poliez-Pittet After-school care unit opened August 2018 offering 60 places for school children. Located in Poliez-Pittet.
• UAPE Pop Corn After-school care unit opened 2011 with 24 places, expanded to 48 in 2012 and 72 in 2014. Located in Echallens.
• UAPE Rionzi After-school care unit opened 2014 offering 96 places for Rionzi school college. Located in Le Mont-sur-Lausanne.
• UAPE Thierrens After-school care unit opened August 2018 in former caretaker's apartment. Located in Thierrens, serving primary cycle children 1P-8P.
• UAPE Villars-le-Terroir After-school care unit opened August 2018 offering 60 places for primary cycle children. Located in Villars-le-Terroir.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Orllati GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023A partnership convention was established with the Orllati Group in 2023. The nature and scope of the partnership is not detailed in the available sources.
• Croq-MidiminorOthersCroq-Midi supplies prepared meals to EFAJE's Garderie Perlimpinpin in Bettens.
• Celebration Food ServiceminorOthersCelebration Food Service supplies meals to Garderie L'Hirondelle (Bercher) and UAPE Pop Corn (Echallens).
• Happy Green FoodminorOthersHappy Green Food supplies meals to UAPE Thierrens and UAPE Morrens.
• SVGroupminorOthersSVGroup supplies meals to UAPE Poliez-Pittet.
• Le Jardin des DélicesminorOthersLe Jardin des Délices (restaurant associated with La Paix du Soir) supplies meals to UAPE Grand-Mont at Le Mont-sur-Lausanne.
• Novae RestaurationminorOthersNovae Restauration supplies meals to UAPE Clochatte at Le Mont-sur-Lausanne.
• Fondation pour l'Accueil de Jour des Enfants (FAJE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAJE is the cantonal foundation governing day care for children in the canton of Vaud. EFAJE operates under FAJE's regulatory framework and coordinates with the cantonal family day care platform (afj.faje-vd.ch).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• FAJE (Fondation pour l'Accueil de Jour des Enfants): Cantonal foundation governing day care for children in Canton Vaud and the regulatory umbrella under which EFAJE operates. Directly comparable as the framework-setter and coordinator of all intercommunal childcare networks in Vaud, including supporting the AFJ platform (afj.faje-vd.ch).
• Globegarden (Globepro AG): Largest private daycare chain in Switzerland operating institutional childcare centers across multiple cantons. Comparable as a multi-site childcare operator competing for the same families in adjacent Swiss markets; differentiated as a commercial, non-mandated player.

Direct peers

• Réseau d'accueil de jour Lausanne et région: Intercommunal childcare network serving the Lausanne agglomeration under the same LAJE / FAJE framework. Operates the same three-modality mix (AFJ, garderies, UAPEs) for working families, making it the closest model-level peer to EFAJE in the same canton.
• Réseau d'accueil de jour Morges (AJEMA / Accueil de Jour Enfants Morges et Région): Intercommunal childcare network covering the Morges district under FAJE/LAJE with a comparable AFJ + garderie + UAPE structure. Most directly comparable peer in operating model and regulatory regime to EFAJE.
• Crèches et Accueil de Jour de la Ville de Lausanne: Municipal daycare and after-school provider for the City of Lausanne, combining institutional garderies and parascolary structures under a single public operator. Comparable to EFAJE in service mix and public-mandate character, but anchored to an urban primary commune.
• Réseau d'accueil de jour Yverdon-les-Bains (Nord vaudois): Intercommunal childcare coordination body for the Yverdon / Nord vaudois region under the FAJE framework. Directly comparable as another Vaud district-level network balancing AFJ, garderies, and parascolary services across communes.

Regional players

• Tagesfamilien Schweiz (formerly Tagesfamilienorganisationen Schweiz): Swiss national association coordinating home-based family day care (Tagesfamilien) networks across cantons. Comparable to EFAJE's AFJ modality in operational concept (licensed home childminders coordinated through a public utility) but operates pan-regionally rather than in one Vaud district.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-efaje

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Association EFAJE