Care Services in Hamburg

Kindergarten (“Kita”): a “Kita-Gutschein” (a kindergarten-voucher) to be obtained by application via the city website or through the local city offices (“Bezirksamt”) is needed to access kindergarten services in Hamburg. The standard voucher covers the costs of up to 5 hours of kindergarten / day (including lunch) for all children aged 1 - 6, but a voucher for more hours can be requested (depending on income, a fee might need to be paid for the additional hours). For more information, and to apply: https://www.hamburg.de/antraege/ (in German only). To estimate monthly Kita costs beyond the 5 hours / day: https://serviceportal.hamburg.de/HamburgGateway/Service/Entry/KitaBei (in German only).

The following Kitas are located in proximity of the CSMC:

Kita Neue Rabenstrasse: https://www.elbkinder-kitas.de/de/kita_finder/kita/2070

Kita Feldbrunnenstrasse: https://www.elbkinder-kitas.de/de/kita_finder/kita/207

Kita Kinder Campus: https://www.stwhh.de/kita/kita-kindercampus

Kita Bornstraße: https://www.stwhh.de/kita/kita-bornstrasse

Kita Hallerstraße: https://www.stwhh.de/kita/kita-hallerstrasse

For an overview of the Kitas of Hamburg’s Studierendenwerk: https://www.stwhh.de/en/family-service/daycare-centres-and-flexible-childcare-services

For the Kita on the Bahrenfeld Campus (DESY): https://www.desy.de/about_desy/mission_and_guiding_principles/work_and_private_life/child_care/DESYinform10-12-engWEB_eng.html(this Kita is German-English bilingual)

“Tagesmutter” / “Tagesvater”: as an alternative to kindergarten, the city can cover the costs of childcare provided by a childminder in a home-style, small-group setting. Applications are to be submitted to the local city offices (“Bezirksamt”). For more information: https://www.hamburg.de/kindertagespflege-elterninfos/4053458/finanzierung/ (in German only).

• Weekend daycare is available at the UKE (University Hospital) daycare centre for children aged 0 - 6 on the first weekend of every month, for 4€ / 2-hour block (students) or 6€ / 2-hour block (employees). See: https://www.stwhh.de/en/family-service/daycare-centres-and-flexible-childcare-services/daycare-centre/integrative-daycare-centre-uke
• Weekend daycare is also available at the Kita KinderCampus for children aged 3 - 10, 10 am - 4 pm. The service needs to be reserved by 1 pm on the Thursday before the weekend on which childcare is needed. See: https://www.stwhh.de/en/family-service/daycare-centres-and-flexible-childcare-services/daycare-centre/daycare-centre-kindercampus
• MIN students and faculty can book childcare slots at the “Zwischenspeicher” on the UHH Stellingen Campus (Vogt-Kölln-Straße 30). Slots are available for children aged 0 - 6, for max. 10 hours / week in 2-hour blocks, 8 am - 8 pm, and need to be reserved in advance. Fees are as follows: 3€ / 2-hour block (students) or 6€ / 2-hour block (faculty), or a semester flat rate of 35€ / 2-hour block (students) or 70€ / 2-hour block (faculty). See: https://www.inf.uni-hamburg.de/en/service/zwischenspeicher.html

Emergency childcare can be provided, for example, when a child’s regular childcare is unexpectedly cancelled, when a parent is hospitalised, or when a parent participates in professional development courses or is away on work-related travel.

In such situations, UHH staff and students can take their children (aged 1 - 6) to any of the Elbkinder Kitas all over the Hamburg metropolitan area. The Elbkinder Kitas are open Monday - Thursday, 6 am - 6 pm & Friday, 6 am - 5 pm.

In order to access this service, UHH staff and students should register at UHH’s Family Office (familienbuero"AT"uni-hamburg.de, +49 (0)40 42838 4281); the Family Office will issue an emergency care ID which can then be used in all Elbkinder Kitas. When emergency childcare is needed, the desired Kita should be notified (if possible 1 day in advance, or on the same day before dropping off the child) by phone or email, using the following form: https://www.elbkinder-kitas.de/files/Formular_2_Anmeldung_Gastkinderbetreuung.pdf. The Family Office must also be notified (by phone or email), at the latest on the first day of emergency childcare.