Students with Children

Toddler group for students with children

Would you like to get to know other student parents? Hoping to exchange ideas about all sorts of things? Are you looking for a great group of friends for your child?

Then you are cordially invited to take part in our toddler group, which we organize together with the Family Office of the University of Bonn!

This will always take place on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 12 noon in the rooms of the Family Office (Franziskanerstr. 2-4, 53113 Bonn, Infopunkt entrance)

The first meeting was on October 20, 2023.

You can register via our e-mail address or studium.familie@uni-bonn.de

We are looking forward to getting to know you and your children and awaiting all the new friendships that will develop!

Studying with a child - here you can find tips, help and advice!

Whether you are a doctoral or a first-semester student, whether planned or unexpected, whether on a good income or not, whether with a partner or alone - when a child is on the way, a lot changes in your life. Around 2000 students with child(ren) study in Bonn and try to meet all the different requirements every day.

We are student moms ourselves and can advise you on childcare, give you tips on possible financial support, leave of absence during your studies, problems that may arise during your studies due to pregnancy or childcare and are also available for all other topics relating to pregnancy or childcare alongside your studies. Our counseling is an open consultation, i.e. you can simply drop by without an appointment.

The consultation times may change depending on the semester and may also vary during the semester break. Changes will be announced here on the homepage, so please always check back. It can also happen that counseling is canceled at short notice, usually due to sick children. This will then usually be posted on the homepage in the morning. So please always check, especially if you are traveling a long way or want to come with a child ;-) You can always reach us by e-mail: smk@asta.uni-bonn.de. But please be patient here too.

Studierendenwerk

The Studierendenwerk runs daycare centers for children (KiTa) of students and employees of the Studierendenwerk. There is also a family residence for students with children. Unfortunately, there are not enough places for all student parents in the KiTas and in the hall of residence. So please make sure you also look for apartments or childcare places yourself! Information under:

https://www.studierendenwerk-bonn.de/en/studying-as-a-parent

https://www.studierendenwerk-bonn.de/en/accommodation/our-dormitories/dormitory/jagdweg-18-22-53115-bonn

Places in the university daycare centers are allocated depending on the student status of the parents for over-3-year-old children and depending on the place of residence for o3 children. You must be enrolled, pregnant or with a child and have a certificate of eligibility to live in a family residence.

The Catholic University Community also runs a daycare center for students' children and a hall of residence with double apartments. Information at: https://gemeinden.erzbistum-koeln.de/hochschulgemeinde_bonn-V8/portal/studium_kind/ (German only)

The Protestant student community also has 6 family apartments. Info at: https://www.dbh-bonn.de/home/

Flexible childcare at Kinderstern!

We are particularly proud of the childcare at KinderStERN. In cooperation with La familiär e.V., Asta Uni Bonn, the University of Bonn and Studierendenwerk Bonn, we have created a childcare facility that looks after children from the age of 1 until the transition to daycare (3.5 years) on two days a week. If you are interested, please contact us at kinderstern@la-familiaer.de or on Tuesdays from 12:30-14:30 at 0228-18032567.
Information on the page of the Studierendenwerk.

Child daycare centers (KiTa)

Registration for a childcare place in a KiTa in Bonn is always done via KiTa-Net: https://kita-planer.kdo.de/bonn-elternportal/elternportal/de/ (German only).
When registering, be sure to state that you are a student! The KiTas of the Studierendenwerk can then consider you better! We also advise you to apply in writing to other KiTas and kindergartens in addition to the 15 "online reservations" recommended by KiTa-Net. Experience shows that it is advisable to apply for a place early: Places are usually allocated in August and the search for a place should begin in the fall of the previous year.

Childminders

Since 2013, childminders have had the same financial status as daycare centers. The search for a suitable childminder is carried out exclusively via the childcare network: https://www.netzwerk-kinderbetreuung-bonn.de (German only)
In addition, you can of course also search for childminders privately.

Financial support

In general, many of the government measures are unfortunately subject to the stupid requirement that they are not open to all students with children, but are dependent on visa status. Please ask us which measures are possible in which individual cases. For foreign students, it often makes no difference which partner submits the application. The measures of the AStA apply to everyone, regardless of origin and passport.

• Social assistance (Sozialhilfe): If you do not have enough money to support yourself and your child, you can apply for social assistance for your child. Unlike students themselves, children of students are indeed entitled to social welfare. Single mothers or fathers with one child under the age of 7 or with two or three children under the age of 16 receive an additional needs allowance. In addition to child benefit, you should also apply for education benefit (Erziehungsgeld, Versorgungsamt Köln) and housing benefit (Wohngeld, Amt für Wohngeld Bonn).

• Child supplement (Kinderzuschlag): As a low-income parent, you have the option of applying for a child supplement (up to €160 per month). For this, your income must exceed a minimum rate (€600 for single parents and €900 for couples) and must not exceed a maximum rate - so you must fall exactly in between. Unfortunately, maintenance is taken into account for single parents, meaning that there is no longer any entitlement. However, this will finally be reformed on January 1, 2020, so that only 50% of maintenance will then be taken into account and the overall rate will be slightly increased. So check whether this works for you :-) Receiving child supplement also entitles you to apply for education and participation.

• Housing benefit (Wohngeld): Students with children and a low income can apply for housing benefit. Here too, you must have a minimum income, but may not exceed a maximum income. With housing benefit, you can also apply for "Bildung und Teilhabe" (education and participation), which subsidizes lunches (in daycare or open all-day school (OGS)) as well as sports or music courses.

• The AStA subsidizes student parents of the University of Bonn, who have childcare costs through KiTa, childminder or OGS, with 100€ per semester. You will need to fill out an application form, which you can download at the bottom of the page.

• In addition, students with children and limited funds can submit an “application for reimbursement of semester ticket costs” here at the AStA if there is a case of social hardship. You will then be reimbursed the portion of the semester fee that is intended for the semester-ticket. Please ask us how, when and where to submit the application or look at the information here.

• There are also various ways to apply for funding during your pregnancy. It's best to just drop by the counseling :-)

Please note that applications for AStA childcare cost subsidies for a semester can only be submitted and processed after the end of the semester!

For a summer semester, you can submit applications between October 1 and March 31 (plus/minus 3 working days). (For a winter semester accordingly: 01.04. to 30.09.)

Important: Advice for students with children (SMK) is provided by students on a voluntary basis and makes no claim to completeness or accuracy. Furthermore, this advice does not replace personal advice from other advice centers!

Further information

can also be found on the university's information page for students with children.

Downloads

Documents only available in German.

Application for childcare funding

Brochure Studying with a child

Bank statements should only be submitted instead of the confirmation from the childcare facility in exceptional cases. For example, if your child is now attending another facility or the facility refuses to provide confirmation! If you submit bank statements, please mark the corresponding entries, add the name of the child and the institution if necessary and also complete the lower part of the application!
Thank you!