Family Friendliness and Compatibility
Family obligations are as diverse as families themselves. Our services are customized to be flexible and thus provide the best possible support. With the “Family-Friendly University Audit” certification, the University of Bonn has been permanently recognised as a family-friendly employer.
Childcare at the University of Bonn
Bild © Universität Bonn / YouTube
What is family friendliness?
For us, family friendliness means to address the special needs of its members with family obligations and to provide targeted support. This will continue to improve the balance between studying or working and caregiving responsibilities and family life. This includes the responsibility for children and minors as well as for other family members requiring care. We define family in a broad sense as a lifelong partnership with close personal ties, in which people take responsibility for one another.
What we do to promote family compatibility
Support
Improving support for students with family care responsibilities
Compatibility
Promotion of the compatibility of career, academic work and family
Recognition
Recognition of care responsibilities during the qualification phase
Leadership culture
Establishment of a family-oriented leadership culture
Internationals
Targeted support for international students and researchers with families
You can find support here
Office of Family Services
The Office of Family Services contributes to a better compatibility of science/career/studies and family. We provide advice to employees and students of the University of Bonn around the topics of childcare, maternity protection, parental leave, care of relatives and more.
Studies and family
Students with children face particular challenges. We are here to support you and provide information on topics such as maternity leave, childcare, and financing options.
Working and researching with children
Scientists and administrative staff can find information here about daycare places, maternity leave, parental leave, flexible childcare options and many other topics.
Counseling and offers for families
The Office of Family Services offers comprehensive advice for students and staff far beyond what the university has to offer.
Selected offers for students
The Maternity Protection Act also applies to students. It makes sure that students do not experience any disadvantages whilst pregnant or breastfeeding during their studies. The Office of Family Services is your first point of contact for confidential and independent advice and provides information about maternity protection, examinations, disadvantage compensation and more.
The Kinder-St.E.R.N. project (childcare for student parents during off-peak hours and in the afternoon) has been running since 2013 as a collaboration between La familiär as the sponsor and the University of Bonn, the AStA Bonn, and the Student Services Association of the University of Bonn. Children who are at least one year old can be admitted to Kinder-St.E.R.N. at any time. The prerequisite is that at least one parent is a student or employee of the University of Bonn.
Childcare during vacation time contributes to balance study and family life. In addition to the university's own vacation care during the Easter, summer and fall vacations, the city of Bonn offers a varied vacation program.
The University of Bonn provides a number of diaper changing tables and parent-child rooms for employees and students. You can find a complete overview of the rooms here.
Selected offers for researchers, teachers and staff
This measure, developed in cooperation with the Office of Family Services, offers parents in the finishing phase of their bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral studies financial support for a limited period of time. The aim of this grant is to support parents in caring for their children and managing everyday chores so that they can dedicate more time to successfully obtaining their degree.
The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences supports the continued scientific participation of young female scientists during pregnancy and breastfeeding by financing additional relief measures.
Through the W1 Care Fund, W1 professors who take at least six months’ parental leave can apply for funding to cover staffing costs during this period. For female professors, this includes periods of maternity leave.
The program also allows to spend time abroad with children. In this podcast a lecturer from Bonn and his daughter talk about their experience of spending two weeks at the University of Zagreb.
The aim of the STEP 1B Career with family funding line is to promote and support female postdocs with childcare responsibilities who are planning a stay abroad as part of their qualification phase.
Do you want to attend meetings, conferences, and other work commitments without worrying, knowing that your children are in good hands? This is possible thanks to flexible (emergency) childcare and babysitters.
Childcare during vacation time contributes to balance study and family life. In addition to the university's own vacation care during the Easter, summer and fall vacations, the city of Bonn offers a varied vacation program.
The University of Bonn provides a number of diaper changing tables and parent-child rooms for employees and students. You can find a complete overview of the rooms here.
Contact
Annabelle Krause-Pilatus (she/her)
Dechenstraße 3-11
53115 Bonn
Katharina Gahbler (she/her)
Dechenstraße 3-11
53115 Bonn
Read also
Diversity Strategy
Here you can find an overview of the University of Bonn’s diversity strategy until 2030.