FAQs on the Registration Procedure for Children of Staff Members

In the following FAQs, we have put together the questions about childcare and the registration procedure often put to us: 

Who can apply for a place in the nurseries and pre-schools of Goethe University Frankfurt?

The Family Service of Goethe University Frankfurt handles registrations by staff for the childcare facilities of Goethe University Frankfurt. The following rule applies: at least one parent must be employed at the university and registration is generally only possible for the campus where they work. Postdoctoral scholarship holders, visiting scholars as well as staff of Frankfurt Student Services (Studierendenwerk Frankfurt am Main) also count as university staff. A minimum contract period of one year usually applies.

Students apply for a place via the city's portal: www.kindernetfrankfurt.de (in German only).

How do I register my child at one of the nurseries or pre-schools?

University employees who would like to enroll their child(ren) in the university's company-related childcare facilities (Campus Kita on the Westend Campus or Kita Kairos on the Riedberg Campus), please fill out one application form per child on the computer and send the signed form by mail to Gina-Lou Nitzsche (kita@uni-frankfurt.de) at the Goethe University Family Service. 

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When at the earliest can childcare start?

The childcare facilities at Goethe University have different minimum ages.
In the Campus Kita Westend, children can be cared for from 1 year of age.
The Kita Kairos (Riedberg) offers childcare for children from 3 months of age at the earliest. In principle, registrations are only accepted after the date of birth.

What is the Kita Advisory Board (Kitabeirat) of Goethe University Frankfurt and when do meetings take place?

A Kita advisory board allocates the childcare places for children of employees at the Goethe University. It consists of representatives of the staff council, the family service, the day care centres and the president in charge. The Kita advisory board of the Campus Kita Westend meets in February and June. The board of Kita Kairos (Riedberg) meets in February, June and October.

The statutes of the Riedberg Kita Advisory Board and the Westend Kita Advisory Board can be downloaded in the column on the right (in German only, please contact us if you have any questions).

What is the closing date for registering my child?

The Kita Advisory Board considers all admissions up until four weeks after the upcoming meeting. 

Applications can be submitted at the latest 3 weeks before the respective meeting of the daycare advisory board

by e-mail (please do not send by regular mail) to kita@uni-frankfurt.de.

What are the criteria for the allocation of places?

Places are awarded according to fixed and transparent criteria which, apart from a few additions, essentially correspond to those of the City of Frankfurt.

How do I find out whether my child has been allocated a place?

As soon as the respective Nursery and Pre-School Advisory Board (Kitabeirat) has decided to whom places are to be allocated, parents receive official notification of acceptance/rejection within 14 days after it has convened.

• Important: Please note that for all communication we use solely the email address you have provided. Please therefore notify us of any changes at your earliest convenience.

Does confirmation of a childcare place apply both for when my child is under 3 years of age as well as over 3 years of age?

No. As stipulated by the Hessian Child Support Act (Hessisches Kinderförderungsgesetz – KiFöG), contracts are always concluded until the end of the respective nursery/pre-school period (under 3/over 3 years of age).

If you have been successful in registering your child for a place for children under 3 years of age and are interested in a subsequent place once he/she reaches the age of 3, we request that you send us a second application (see column on the right), as we cannot always guarantee a subsequent place for all children over 3 years of age. As a rule, children already accommodated by the childcare facility are naturally given priority. However, a new decision on the allocation of places must nevertheless be made.

What does a nursery/pre-school place at Goethe University Frankfurt cost?

The basic costs are fixed by the City of Frankfurt. You can find them here:
https://www.kindernetfrankfurt.de/infoportal/kosten (in German only).

There are additional costs for meals, which are listed here.

What should we do if we accept a childcare place at another facility?

Unlike the city’s facilities, the childcare places for children of university staff are not recorded centrally. This means that we are not notified if you have been offered a childcare place elsewhere.

In this case, please make administration easier for us by letting us know when you have found a childcare place for your child(ren). A short email to Gina-Lou Nitzsche (gi.nitzsche@em.uni-frankfurt.de; see column on the right) is sufficient.

Is it wise to register via kindernetfrankfurt as well?

In view of the limited capacities, we strongly recommend that you also try to find a childcare place in other ways. Residents of the City of Frankfurt must register via the kindernetfrankfurt online portal. You can download further information and the registration form in the column on the right or under: http://www.kindernetfrankfurt.de/ (in German only).

Important:
If you receive confirmation of a childcare place via the portal, you are initially blocked and no longer visible for other facilities. It is therefore important that you do not hesitate too long with acceptances or refusals if you favour a particular facility.