Family at the university
Finding a good balance between work or studies and family commitments – whether that involves caring for your own children, grandchildren, or dependent relatives – can be a real challenge. The Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development is committed to supporting all members of the university community in meeting this challenge to the best of its ability.
Areas of Responsibility
Our tasks cover the following areas:
- Providing information and counselling for students and employees with child(ren), as well as for expectant parents
- Advising members of the university community who care for dependent relatives
- Designing and implementing measures to improve family-friendliness in cooperation with → HR managers and the → Equal Opportunities Officer
- Referring individuals to external partners and institutions that complement the services of our family-friendly university
Dates & Events
The family-friendly university regularly organises events such as parent-child welcome meetings and further education sessions, offering networking opportunities for students with children.
You can find upcoming dates via → Campusworks.
Studying or Working with Child(ren)
Studying or working while raising child(ren) is not always easy and often requires extra organisation. The family-friendly university provides infrastructure and information to help you maintain a healthy balance between family life and your studies or work.
The parent-child rooms are designed to provide parents with children, as well as pregnant university members, a comfortable space to take breaks, change nappies, breastfeed, and work. There is a parent-child room on each campus.
Both canteens offer a play area and several high chairs for your children. On request, the staff will gladly warm up any baby food you bring.
In addition to the changing tables in the parent-child rooms, you will find additional changing facilities at both the City Campus and Forest Campus.
The enclosed computer workstation provides parents with the opportunity to work alongside their child without disturbing the quiet atmosphere of the library.
Depending on the available budget, the family-friendly university provides financial support for student parents, including a childcare subsidy. This can be claimed when childcare is needed during lecture times that are not covered by regular childcare services, for example, in the late afternoon.
The → AStA Social Affairs department also manages the tree planting campaign for newborns.
To help ease the financial burden on families, students with children receive a one-off welcome grant of up to €200. The grant is paid by the → Studierendenwerk Brandenburg:Ost upon application.
The family-friendly university offers laptops for loan to HNEE students and staff with family responsibilities. These are intended to make it easier for you to work from home for your studies or university tasks.
To make spending time in the office or lecture hall more enjoyable for children, mobile toy boxes and painting or craft bags are also available to borrow.
On the university’s Forest Campus, there are rooms used by the “Sonnenschein” daycare centre, which is operated by the city of Eberswalde. Here, 10 children aged 0 to 3 years are cared for daily from 8 am to 4 pm.
The university also maintains contact with local childminders.
In addition to the childcare services offered by daycare centres and childminders, the flexible childcare service provided by "Die Kinderwelt GmbH" may also be of assistance.
Contact persons for those affected in the Barnim region.
Bereavement counselling centre in Berlin: counselling/therapy (including early pregnancy loss), grief groups, postnatal courses.
Support for parents who have lost a child before, during, or shortly after birth, as well as for affected families, friends, and helpers.
Help and support for everyone living with or affected by the death of a child—regardless of age.
Network Maternity & Science (Netzwerk Mutterschaft & Wissenschaft)
A forum for parents in academia to exchange experiences and provide mutual support.
Studying or Working with Caring Responsibilities
As part of its commitment to family friendliness, the university strives to support members of the university community who are caring for a relative alongside their studies or work, helping them to balance both responsibilities as effectively as possible.
We work closely with the university’s HR department and, in a personal meeting, can also refer you to specialised counselling and support services.
- Pflegestützpunkt Eberswalde
- Stiftung Pflegebrücke
- Pflege in Not
- Compass - care advice for private insurance holders
- The brochure "Balancing work and care (Beruf und Pflege vereinbaren)" from the Brandenburg Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Family is highly recommended as an introduction to the topic.
- Study on balancing employment and care responsibilities in the State of Brandenburg
- Guide for home care - providing care at home
- Guide to care - Everything you need to know about providing care
- Dementia guide - From Diagnosis to Care: When Memory Fades
- Care home navigator of the AOK
- The internet portal for working carers offers extensive information on both general and specific aspects of daily life and care management.
- LoS! Practical guide "What to do if...? Care - quick support for those affected" from the New Quality of Work Initiative.
Do you have questions about balancing family life with work or studies?
You are welcome to make an appointment for a counselling session on campus. Online or telephone consultations can also be arranged.
Sign up for the parents’ mailing list to receive up-to-date information on financial support, events, and other relevant news.
We aim to tailor our services to your needs and continuously improve them in a way that is responsive to our target groups. We therefore welcome constructive feedback, suggestions, and your active engagement.
You can reach the family-friendly university team at → familie(at)hnee.de