Monaco’s childcare network is set to grow this September, with a new nursery opening within the Ida complex on September 2, adding 30 additional cots to the Principality’s public early-years provision. The expansion comes at an awkward moment, however, with one of the Commune’s largest existing nurseries, Testimonio, remaining closed indefinitely after officials discovered the building needed more extensive investigative work than initially planned.
According to Monaco-Matin, families were informed by letter that the 50-cot Testimonio nursery, located at the Principality’s eastern entrance, would not reopen in September following its usual summer closure. Chloé Boscagli, Deputy Mayor for Youth, Parity and Gender Equality, told the outlet that routine seasonal maintenance had needed to be extended once officials began investigating what was happening behind the building’s walls, though she declined to specify the exact nature of the problem, saying only that the priority was ensuring the best possible environment for the children in the Commune’s care. She added that officials currently lack a clear picture of the underlying cause or a firm timeline for completing the works, with further updates to follow as the situation develops.
The closure affects around 40 families with children aged between two months and three years, all of whom were reassigned to alternative nurseries as close as possible to their homes or, in some cases, their place of work. Three facilities, Jardin d’Éveil, the Monte-Carlo nursery and the Palais Honoria nursery, took on the displaced children, with Testimonio’s own staff redistributed alongside them to preserve continuity of care for the children they already know. Boscagli said every affected family now has a confirmed placement, having deliberately avoided offering only temporary arrangements. The timing carries added pressure, since September ranks among the year’s three busiest intake periods for Monaco’s nurseries, alongside January and April.
Testimonio’s indefinite closure has drawn some concern given the building’s size and relatively recent opening in January 2023, and echoes an earlier episode at another communal nursery: L’Île aux Bambins, near Hélios on Promenade Honoré-II, was closed for four months in 2018 to address damp and prevent mould growth. Asked whether Testimonio’s situation might follow a similar pattern, Boscagli said she hoped the issue would prove minor, but confirmed further work would be carried out if necessary.
For now, the Ida nursery’s opening offers a partial offset to the disruption, expanding Monaco’s overall childcare capacity even as Testimonio’s own 50 cots remain out of service until further notice.