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: 

Magenta_Schmal

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 staff who would like to register their child(ren) at the university's nurseries or pre-schools nearby (Campus Kita Nursery and Pre-School on Westend Campus as well as Kita Zauberberg Nursery and Pre-School and Kita Kairos Nursery and Pre-School on Riedberg Campus) can find registration forms in German and English in the column on the right.

Please complete one form per child on your PC, sign it and send it by email to Gina-Lou Nitzsche (kita@.uni-frankfurt.de; her contact details can be found on the right).

When at the earliest can childcare start?

The minimum age at the university’s nurseries differs. Kita Kairos Nursery and Pre-School (Riedberg) takes children from the age of 3 months at the earliest, Zauberberg Kita Nursery and Pre-School (Riedberg) from 7 months. Campus Kita Nursery and Pre-School on Westend Campus takes children from 1 year of age.

Only Kita Kairos Nursery and Pre-School accepts registration before the child is born.

What is the Nursery and Pre-School Advisory Board (Kitabeirat) of Goethe University Frankfurt and when does it convene?

Childcare places for staff’s children are allocated via a Nursery and Pre-School Advisory Board (Kitabeirat). This comprises representatives from the Staff Council, the Family Service, the nurseries and pre-schools, and the Vice President responsible.

The advisory board for Campus Kita Nursery and Pre-School on Westend Campus and Kita Zauberberg Nursery and Pre-School (Riedberg) meets in February and June.

The advisory board for Kita Kairos Nursery and Pre-School on Riedberg Campus meets in February, June and October.

You can download the statutes of the Kairos and Zauberberg advisory board and the Campus Kita advisory board 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?

You can submit your registration up until the end of the month before the advisory board convenes (by email, not by post) the Family Service (kita@uni-frankfurt.de).
Closing dates for Campus Kita Nursery and Pre-School and Kita Zauberberg Nursery and Pre-School are 31 January and 31 May each year. 
Closing dates for Kita Kairos Nursery and Pre-School are 31 January, 31 May and 30 September. 

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.

Contact

We are happy to accept registrations for children of employees for the Goethe University childcare facilities and related enquiries via kita@uni-frankfurt.de.

---

Gina-Lou Nitzsche
Processmanagement 
Childcare Applications

Fon: +49 69 798-18698
E-Mail: kita@em.uni-frankfurt.de
Campus Westend, SKW-Building, Room 05.C102


Visiting address

Goethe University Frankfurt a.M.
Equal Opportunities Office

SKW-Building
Rostocker Str. 2
60323 Frankfurt am Main


Postal address

Equal Opportunities Office
Goethe University Frankfurt a.M.
Postbox 227
60629 Frankfurt am Main