What childcare options are there available at Student Services Münster?

Currently we maintain three childcare centres for more than 100 children of students and staff at universities and other tertiary institutions in Münster.

In July 1969 the first one became operational, the Kita Tausendfüßler which currently cares for 46 children from the age of 4 months to 3 years. Two childcare workers are assigned to look after each individual group of children at this day care centre.

The child day care centre Kita Chamäleon is the newest child day care centre of Münster's Student Services. It was opened on 1 October, 2007. The childcare options are mainly tailored towards the children of parents who are students. The centre has 55 places, with about 10 places reserved for children from the catchment area and another 10 places reserved for university employees.

The Kita Zwergenstübchen mainly caters for parents who are studying and who might just need a few hours for themselves now and then, and is also a pilot project of the Westphalian Wilhelms University of Münster, providing flexible childcare options for studying parents.

What requirements must I meet so that my child can be enrolled in Student Services childcare?

At the Kita Tausendfüßler any parent who is enrolled at a tertiary institution in Münster can apply for a place for their child. This centre has 9 places for non-students as well.

 

At the Kita Chamäleon children of students as well as children of staff working at the Westphalian Wilhelms University and children of residents living in the catchment area can enrol.

To enrol a child there are no specific requirements about what the parent/s are studying; whether one or more parents is undertaking a second degree or a doctorate or currently deferring for a semester.

However, when enrolling your child, all relevant paperwork from the university must be submitted and this needs to be updated each semester.

 

How and where can I enrol my child?

Enrolment forms can be picked up at the childcare centres which are to be filled out and handed back to the childcare centre or posted to: Studentenwerk Münster – Geschäftsführung - Bismarckallee 5, 48151 Münster. If your child is enrolled twice, for example at both childcare centres due to waiting lists, we need to be informed of this fact. We also ask you to inform us of changes to your home and/or student address as soon as possible, so that we can contact you if a place becomes available for your child, especially if they are already on a waiting list.

Are there any particular entrance requirements for my child?

Admission of your child occurs on the basis of a waiting list and a set of entrance criteria. Before your child is admitted to the childcare centre, on the first day, either the yellow preventive medical examination attesting to the appropriate health check for the relevant age of the child should be submitted, or else a similar doctor's report. The child's vaccination pass should also be submitted. A child can only be enrolled at the beginning of the month.

What criteria are taken into account to make a decision on admission?

The only criteria, listed as follows, are purely social ones, set out in order of importance:

The childcare centre "Tausendfüßler" admits children who have both parents studying at a tertiary institution in Münster or else are studying in another city but have their principal place of residence in Münster.

The next preference is given to children who have one parent studying.

Nine places are held for parents who are working. The lower the income, the higher the chance of being offered a place.

Dire circumstances require extreme measures. Apart from the general criteria, we reserve the right to acknowledge particularly difficult social situations experienced by some single parents, and in certain cases to give preference in allocating childcare places. We also consider family-related social circumstances to be important, and as such applications give preference to siblings of children already enrolled.

What are the opening hours of the childcare centres?

1. The opening hours of the childcare centre "Chamäleon" are currently daily:
Mon – Fri
from 7.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.

2. The opening hours of the childcare centre "Tausendfüssler" are currently daily:
Mon – Fri
from 7.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

After the rest period at about 2.30 p.m. children can be collected at both centres at 3 p.m. With the legislation KiBiz becoming law from 1 August 2008, we differentiate the opening hours of the centres from the attendance times of individual children. This is based on the booked hours of care. The core hours of care will be between the times of approximately 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

In the summer months the childcare centres "Chamäleon" and "Tausendfüßler" are closed for 3 weeks. This "rest period" is orientated towards the school and semester vacation. The centres are also closed for a day following the summer vacation for thorough cleaning. In addition, they close for a further 2–3 days for staff team conferences and for staff training. Within the individual groups some group days are set aside when care is not offered. And finally, the centres are closed between Christmas and New Year.

Do I have to pay a parent contribution towards childcare for my child?

Under current arrangements, parents are obliged to contribute up to € 50 monthly, to be paid to Student Services, and this is paid one year in advance. The amount of parent contribution varies according to income. To calculate the amount please refer to the local Amt für Kinder Jugend und Familie

How can I help my child become used to attending childcare?

The transition from the family situation to the childcare centre is a huge challenge for children. Children need both the assistance and the presence of parents, who play a crucial role in the familiarisation phase, as the child must develop a trusting relationship with a new central figure in their lives – the childcare workers. The partial "disengagement" from the parents or main carers should be taken in small steps, so that the child accepts the childcare worker as a new central figure in their lives.

We ask you, as parents, to allow some time in the first weeks to be available, to ensure a gradual familiarisation with the life of the childcare group so that your child can adapt at his or her own pace. It is therefore important, when planning to resume study or work, to take into account this particular requirement for your child's own sake.

What should I know about giving notice when childcare is no longer required?

Your child can only be formally unenrolled effective at the end of a specified month. If a child leaves the childcare centre before the care agreement is finished, the period of notice will be 6 weeks prior to the end of the specified month. If the childcare place can be filled directly after notification to quit has been received, the notice period is waived. Written notice to withdraw the child from the childcare agreement is sufficient; a form is not necessary.

end faq