Family Service Office
University employees face unique challenges when it comes to reconciling familial and professional responsibilities. In many cases, school holidays are not synchronised with lecture-free periods, and academic conferences are often held after day-care opening hours. The additional burden of caring for ill or elderly family members can make the work-family balance a true balancing act.
The Family Service Office of the University of Münster is an internal coordination and counselling office responsible for addressing the specific work-life challenges facing university staff. Scientists who are appealed by the University as professors are invited to contact the Familiy Service Office as well.
The goal is to improve general working conditions with various measures and enable employees to successfully balance their familial and professional obligations. This includes providing information relevant to the work-life balance. The Family Service Office offers advice on general matters regarding parental benefits, parental leave, childcare, re-entering the workforce and providing additional care for close relatives in need.
The Family Service Office ...
- informs fathers and mothers about various childcare services for children of all age groups
- helps parents find childcare possibilities
- provides contacts to qualified babysitters
- offers a back-up childminding service in exceptional and emergency situations
- provides back-up support so that parents can participate in conferences and professional training seminars
- offers advice on basic and enhanced parental benefits (Elterngeld Plus) in connection with parental leave, maternity leave, re-entry into the workforce and childcare in the university context
- welcomes children, parents and “surrogate grandparents” to the Wunschgroßeltern Café
- organises holiday programmes for children
- cooperates with the working party single parents
- offers advice on legal claims, optional exemptions, relevant information, networking and other self-care opportunities for employees who must provide increasing care to ill or elderly family members as the Fürsorgeservice Alltagshilfen for family and friends
- provides actual information about familiy services here
- and in the Newsletter living.knowledge.family.
