Childcare

If you coming to Germany with one or more children childcare is a very important subject and must be planned well in advance. In general Germany has a good daycare system. This area gives you an overview of the various options.

Childminder / Babysitter

A childminder in Germany is a professionally trained caregiver who looks after children from other families. It is much like a Nanny but the care takes place at the caregiver's home or in specially rented rooms. A childminder takes care of a group of children which is usually much smaller than in a Kindergarten. It is very individual and flexible and is therefore particularly suitable for children under the age of three. The regional daycare offices of AWO Perspektiven gGmbH and Diakonisches Werk Wetterau are responsible for finding daycare providers in the Wetterau district. In Karben, the Mütter- und Familien-Zentrum Karben e.V. provides advice. Only daycare providers who have been checked by the Youth Welfare Office and have received a care permit in accordance with § 43 SGB VIII are referred. 

Kindergarten

At kindergarten, children meet playmates their own age and parents easily get to know other parents. Attending kindergarten is voluntary in Germany. Although theoretically every child in Germany has a right to a kindergarten place or a childminder from the age of 1, the waiting lists for these places are sometimes long. Although the kindergarten year usually begins in August or September, registration often takes place in December before, so you should register your child(ren) as early as possible and find out about local conditions. Many kindergartens also accept children throughout the year, if they have the necessary capacity. Kindergarten fees are usually income-dependent and/or depend on the amount of time your child spends there.

More information about daycare in Bad Nauheim can be found:

https://www.bad-nauheim.de/kita

Kindergarten fees

The amount of the kindergarten fee varies depending on the federal state, municipality and provider. In addition, the age of the child, the form of care and the time of care play a role in the amount of the fees. Kindergarten costs are divided into care and catering costs. A kindergarten may charge additional fees, for example, for particularly healthy food, but also for handicraft materials or a special offer, such as early musical education. Each kindergarten determines the amount of these additional costs itself. From the age of three, daycare in Hessen is free of charge for up to six hours a day.

Kindergarten module fee city Bad Nauheim:

https://www.bad-nauheim.de/de/buergernah/dienstleistungen-a-z/k/kita-gebuehren

Kita Little Friends in Bad Nauheim

The Kindergarten "Little Friends" is a bilingual facility (German-English speaking). In this facility, children from the age of 12 months until they start school are cared for. From Monday to Friday, the regular care hours are from 7:15 am to 4:00 pm. Within the framework of a cooperation, the kindergarten offers an additional special module until 5:00 p.m. for children of employees of the Max Planck Institute. The additional costs for the care from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. are argely borne by the Institute. For parents, there is an additional monthly cost of €45.90 if the module is booked daily.

Homepage Kite Little Friends:
https://www.bad-nauheim.de/de/lebenswert/kinder-jugend-familien-senioren/kindertagesstaetten/little-friends

School 

School attendance is compulsory in Germany: children have to go to school for nine years (ten in some federal states).

Kids start primary school at the age of six (1st to 4th grade or higher in some federal states or school types) and afterwards attend a secondary school.

There are three different types of secondary schools to choose from:

1. Hauptschule up to the 9th or 10th grade. It ends with ‘Hauptschulabschluss’ or school leaving certificate
2. Realschule up to the 10th grade. It ends with the ‘Mittlere Reife’, which is roughly comparable with the British GCSE
3. Gymnasium up to the 12th or 13th grade. The Gymnasium ends with the ‘Abitur’, which is a prerequisite for university studies and can be compared to A levels, the Matura or the International Baccalaureate Diploma.

There are also comprehensive schools in which children receive streamed education depending upon their individual performance up to the middle school leaving certificate. The school systems and curricula differ between the individual federal states.

Attending state-funded schools is free of charge. Fees will only be charged for private and international schools.

You can get information about local schools from the town authorities or their website.

In general, you will not be able to choose a specific primary school. Instead, your child(ren) will go to a designated school for the so-called school catchment area in which you live.

At secondary school you can choose a specific school, although, in some federal states, their attendance will only be approved following a satisfactory interview with the school administrators. Please make the relevant enquiries well in advance. 

School  Hours and After School Care

The school year begins after the summer holidays, i.e., in August or September depending on the individual federal state.

Usually, lessons take place between 08:00 and 13:00 (especially in the lower classes). In the higher classes, lessons can also take place in the afternoon.
Primary schools, in particular, offer lunchtime and, in some cases, after school supervision where the children are given lunch, homework supervision and have time to play.

Currently more and more full-time schools are being established where children get are looked after until the afternoon.

Unless your child goes to a full-time school, there will be additional fees for lunchtime supervision and after-school care, which will usually be charged by the hour. Getting after-school care during the school year can sometimes be problematic due to the limited number of places available; timely registration before the start of the school year will increase your chances.

Max Planck Society Service / MPG Family Office

The Max Planck Society offers a range of support services for balancing work and family life.  The Family Office deals with all legal, strategic and conceptual issues relating to the reconciliation of family and career affecting the entire MPG.

https://max.mpg.de/Service/Beruf-und-Familie/Pages/Family-Office.aspx

Before the PME Family Service can be used, the Human Resources Department must complete an authorization form.

Please note that the PME Service only helps with advice and mediation, the costs incurred by a care must be borne by the employee himself.