Concept of the RWTH U3 Groups

 

Each of the three daycare centers has child-appropriate spaces and equipment and a corresponding playground. The group daycare providers are not direct university employees – they are self-employed and work for RWTH. This means that parents can directly negotiate a supervision contract with the childcare providers, determining the number of supervisory hours and more.

The U3 group supervision offers parents an ideal framework for daycare all year round, as they are only closed during Christmas break and other group-specific times.

Dedication of Daycare Providers

The daycare providers who work for RWTH Aachen were all qualified by the "Familiäre Tagesbetreuung e.V." and continue to attend further education classes on various topics. RWTH Aachen's U3 supervision team is currently formed of eight female childcare providers. Almost all the providers have many years of professional experience as daycare providers. It is very important for them to have open contact with parents as a basis of satisfying and longlasting work with the children.

The Pedagogical Approach

"Every young person has the right to the support of their development and to an upbringing as an independent and socially competent personality" (§1 Child and Youth Welfare Act).

The daycare providers work against this backdrop – catering to the children's individual needs, and providing them with safety and comfort. Social skills are encouraged through games and the development of independence is supported. A crucial principle for promoting independence reads: "I will help you do it yourself." Here the result is not the focus, but rather the desire to try.

The children should be happy to come, feel comfortable, and develop playfully. The daycare providers emphasize the importance of a structured daily schedule, which links periods of open play with small rituals, since this offers children guidance and safety.

Familiarization

Starting daily childcare is often children's first separation from their parents. Good contact with parents is necessary so that a trusting relationship between a daycare provider and child can develop. Open communication between parents and the providers promotes understanding on both sides for the varying roles and serves the development of the child.

The familiarization period is oriented towards a child's needs and is determined individually for each child.

Parental Contact

Parents can always contact daycare staff regarding their child's care or development stages. They can also arrange individual advising appointments in the Family Services Center of the Equal Opportunities Office on topics specific to the group, upbringing, or the basic problem of making family and career compatible.

A stable social network makes life with children much easier. There are several socializing events for parents and children of the RWTH U3 groups throughout the year.

Times of Supervision

There are currently a total of 23 places in the RWTH U3 groups offering 35 hours of supervision from Monday to Friday from 8am to 3pm. There are also 4 places offering 43 hours of supervision from Monday to Thursday from 8am to 5pm and Fridays from 8am to 3pm.

For some of the places, two day care workers share the supervision. The child is looked after by one or the other day care provider on their regularly scheduled days. The providers exchange information and make clear arrangements with each other about daily structure and rituals, so that the children can enjoy a high level of consistency from day to day.

Cost of Supervision

The city of Aachen constitution determines the requirements for funding and the amount of parent fees for child supervision for children under three years within the framework of the Kinderbildungsgesetz KiBiz.

Parents pay a fee to the Youth Welfare Office depending on their income and number of supervision hours booked. Correspondingly, children are funded throguh the youth welfare offices of the respective municipality. The cost for food of currently 50 euros per month – or 55 euros in the case of 43 hours of childcare – is paid directly to the daycare providers.

Parents living in the Aachen city region must have their costs determined individually.

Parents living in Belgium or the Netherlands generally have to cover the care costs themselves.