Studying as a parent at Fachhochschule Dortmund - University of Applied Sciences and Arts - is that possible?

As of late 2012, Fachhochschule Dortmund has a cooperation agreement with the AWO Dortmund branch. This gives students and staff members the opportunity to find a place in childcare for their children. The AWO Dortmund branch is the provider of currently 16 day care centers located throughout the city area of Dortmund. Please contact Family Services for additional information.

In the charmingly furnished rooms of the "FrecHdachse" facility located at Rheinlanddamm 201a, two qualified day care providers look after a total of 9 children of Fachhochschule Dortmund members. The children are from two months to three years old.

The facility has a kitchen where the children eat breakfast together every morning, a relaxation room and a bedroom as well as a playroom. There is also an inviting outdoor play area.

Your day care provider is ill and you have an important appointment at the university? MoKi can be utilized in such a situation and in case of similar emergencies. Your child will be looked after on the premises of Fachhochschule Dortmund within a distance from you agreed upon earlier, while you are attending an important meeting, class or consultation, etc. at the university. The mobile childcare does not replace regular childcare, but it is your university-affiliated short-term care option in case of emergencies and off-peak times.

In addition to MoKi, MoKi online has established itself as an online children's entertainment provider. Using a video conferencing system, children can, for example, meet with a MoKi caregiver and with other children and listen to stories being read aloud.

Is your child sick of being stuck at home during vacation time? In the first weeks of summer vacation as well as during the Easter and fall break (in North Rhine-Westphalia), children aged 6 to 13 years can register for the vacation program offered by Fachhochschule Dortmund. Along with children of TU Dortmund University members, they can participate in a colorful program on and around the campuses of Fachhochschule Dortmund and TU Dortmund University.

The day care center "Kita im Grünen - Pädagogisches Zentrum am Campus”, rightfully carries its name as it is located amidst nature and in close proximity to the South Campus (Am Gardenkamp 47-49, 44227 Dortmund). In the immediate vicinity, there are three residential complexes of Studierendenwerk Dortmund. The nearest bus stop is easily accessible on foot. The day care center accommodates a total of 120 children in eight groups. Fachhochschule Dortmund students and their children are welcome.

You will find foldable technically inspected and TÜV-certified changing tables at all locations of Fachhochschule Dortmund. The changing tables are equipped with a pad and a diaper pail. You can find changing tables - identifiable by a baby pictogram - in these buildings:

• Sonnenstraße
• Hohe Straße 28
• Max-Ophüls-Platz
• Emil-Figge-Straße 38, 38 A, 40, 42 and 44
• Cafeteria kostBar

Parents with slightly older children can borrow toy boxes at every faculty. These contain all kinds of utensils that can be used to keep the children busy - for example, if the day care center is on strike or the day care provider is not available.

Fachhochschule Dortmund created child-friendly “parent-child rooms” at all three campus locations for its students and staff members with children in different age groups. In these rooms, parents can organize taking care of their children themselves, exchange ideas or simply take a break. You can use the following rooms:

• Location Campus Nord, Emil-Figge-Str. 42, Room B.E.20 (in the Faculty of Computer Science)
• Location Max-Ophüls-Platz 2, Room E 30/31 (in the Faculty of Design)
• Location Sonnenstr. 96, Room A 120 (basement next to the student workspaces)

Children of Fachhochschule Dortmund students can enjoy a complimentary lunch every day at the cafeterias of Studierendenwerk Dortmund. The "Kids' Meal" is offered for children up to the age of 10 in all dining halls. To take advantage of this offer, you need to register your child/children in your ODS and contact Family Services to apply for a child ID for student parents at Fachhochschule Dortmund. Additional information is available through our Family Services and on the website of Studierendenwerk Dortmund.

At Fachhochschule Dortmund, you can connect with our familyscouts for any questions related to studying as a parent. The familyscouts are parents themselves and are pursuing their studies at Fachhochschule Dortmund.

They connect students with caregiving responsibilities, gather and share information regarding study organization and financing. They form a political voice together with the AStA (General Students’ Committee) Department for Diversity and Family and the student representative of the Equal Opportunity Commissioner. The familyscouts maintain direct communication channels with Family Services, the Equal Opportunities Office and student committee representatives.

Family Services offers support and provides information on all matters related to the better compatibility of family and studies. This includes not only the availability of good and reliable childcare but also financial, organizational, and study/work-related aspects.

Some common topics addressed at Family Services are:

• Childcare
• Studying during pregnancy
• Maternity leave
• Financial support options or social benefits (e.g., BAföG, parental allowance)

In every faculty, there are student parents with whom you can exchange ideas and surely pick up some tips on studying while raising children.