Work-Life Balance and Corona "Students"

Update January 2021

The overall situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in significant restrictions to our lives. The renewed partial closure of schools and kindergartens is a particular problem for families with children. The lack of child care for school and pre-school children poses a huge challenge for parents working from home or attending online courses at university.

The Equal Opportunity Office offers a range of support services and is available to provide advice in keeping with your personal needs and work together with you to identify solutions appropriate to your particular situation.

Emergency Childcare during (Online) Courses

If you find yourself without childcare as a result of kindergarten or school closures (or for other reasons), you can turn to Osnabrück University’s “emergency childcare” service (offered in cooperation with the student union):

Child minders can come to your home (in compliance with health regulations) during periods when you are working from home or have to attend online courses and will take care of your children for you when your attention is focussed on your computer screen. You can book the service at the earliest two days before you need it and use it for up to three consecutive days.

Should there be any further negative developments in the rate or occurrence of infection, the emergency childcare provision will be restricted or suspended.

Please understand that should you or any of your children show any symptoms of the illness, then you will be unable to use this service. This is also the case if you or a member of your family are in quarantine. Please act responsibly. More information is available in the flyer "Notfallbetreuung" ["Emergency Childcare"] (PDF, 1.39 MB).

Parent-Child Café goes online

Particularly in times of social distancing, it is important to stay in contact and interact with friends. We have therefore set up a virtual room for students with children so that you can meet up with friends and acquaintances. Since November 2020, the virtual café has met up once a month on a Friday. You can find the precise dates and access to the chat room in the flyer "Eltern-Kind-Café" ["Parent-Child Café"] (PDF, 87 kB). If you are interested, please register using the email address mentioned in the flyer or drop by for a spontaneous visit.

The Equal Opportunity Office covers the cost of childcare or caring for a relative

The Equal Opportunity Office is available to cover part of the cost of childcare or caring for a relative when students are in particularly difficult circumstances (examinations and personal emergencies) and when the usual provision of care is unavailable due to the closure of schools and kindergartens.

In the first instance, you should try and cover your childcare needs by using the emergency childcare service. Should this not prove possible for you, you may turn to the Equal Opportunity Office for help. You can also turn to the Equal Opportunity Office if the severity of the coronavirus pandemic means that the regular care you rely on for a family member is no longer available and you are required to attend an online course or an examination.

To provide you with support in the most pressing situations, the Equal Opportunity Office has funds available which you can use to cover your childcare costs. Students who have children under the age of 12 and/or who are caring for a relative are entitled to receive up to €100 a week to pay for the cost of childcare. Special consideration is given to the needs of single parents.
Please note: Payments to family members are not possible.

What do I need to remember when using (child)care?

• Please ensure that you take the appropriate health precautions.
• Have the same person take care of your children each time. As soon as you notice any signs of illness in yourself or your children, please cancel the appointment.
• Please behave responsibly!
• If you don’t have a child minder yet, we can help you to find one. Please contact the “Family Service” using the keyword “Betreuungsbörse” [“Childcare Exchange”]. We will place you on the Stud.IP platform where potential child minders can contact you.

Work-Life Balance and Corona "People in Work"

Update January 2021

The overall situation surrounding the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in significant restrictions to our lives. The renewed partial closure of schools and kindergartens is a particular problem for families with children. The lack of child care for school and pre-school children poses a huge challenge for parents working from home or attending online courses at university.
The Equal Opportunity Office offers a range of support services and is available to provide advice in keeping with your personal needs and work together with you to identify solutions appropriate to your particular situation.

Emergency Childcare for People Working from Home
If you find yourself without childcare as a result of kindergarten or school closures (or for other reasons), you can turn to Osnabrück University’s “emergency childcare” service:

• Child minders can come to your home (in compliance with health regulations) during periods when you are working from home or have to attend online courses and will take care of your children for you when your attention is focussed on your computer screen. You can book the service at the earliest two days before you need it and use it for up to three consecutive days.
• Should there be any further negative developments in the rate or occurrence of infection, the emergency childcare provision will be restricted or suspended.
• Please understand that should you or any of your children show any symptoms of the illness, then you will be unable to use this service. This is also the case if you or a member of your family are in quarantine. Please act responsibly. More information is available in the flyer "Notfallbetreuung" ["Emergency Childcare"] (PDF, 1.39 MB).

SOS Childcare … Help with Babysitting

To provide you with support at the very least in the most pressing situations, the Equal Opportunity Office has funds available for term time and examination periods which you can use to cover your childcare costs. Upon application, we cover (a proportion of) the childcare costs of up to €100 a week for employees with children under the age of 12 and/or who are caring for a relative. Please note: Payments to family members are not possible.

What do I need to remember when using (child)care?

• Please ensure that you take the appropriate health precautions.
• Have the same person take care of your children each time. As soon as you notice any signs of illness in yourself or your children, please cancel the appointment.
• Please behave responsibly!
• If you don’t have a babysitter yet, we can help you to find one. Please contact the “Family Service” using the keyword “Betreuungsbörse” [“Childcare Exchange”]. We will place you on the Stud.IP platform where potential babysitters can contact you.

Individualised Solutions in Cooperation with Human Resources

Should the closure of schools and kindergartens result in long-term problems for you with respect to childcare or caring for a relative, please contact Ms Alexandra Zurlutter via E-Mail, Telephone: +49 541 969 4035 or - if Ms Zurlutter is unavailable - Mr Carsten Niekamp via E-Mail or Telephone: +49 541 969 4931.