Day Care
Children aged 8 months (sometimes earlier) to 3 years can attend the Krippe while children between 3 and 6 years can go to the Kindergarten. Attendance of the Krippe and Kindergarten is voluntary.
Krippe (nursery or crèche) and Kindergarten (preschool)
On German websites you will often find the word Kita, which is short for Kindertagesstätte and serves as a general term for day care facilities. The monthly fee you pay for your child depends on the type of facility (state-operated, church-operated, or private), the child's age (the older, the cheaper), and the parents' income. It is not nearly as expensive as in the UK or US. You can also choose between a half day (four hours) and a full day (eight hours) care for your child. Some facilities even offer a three-quarter day (six hours). You can find an example calculation for day care costs in a state-operated facility at the bottom of the right column. The last year of Kindergarten before your child attends school is free of cost!
Register you child on time
Day care spots are often short, so enroll your children as early as possible, ideally as soon as you know you will come to Göttingen or, if you already live here, as soon as the child is born.
There is a day care facility directly on the institute's campus that offers 20 places for children age 1 to 4 reserved for institute members. For further information, please visit our site Child Care on Campus.
Below you will find a list of day care facilities with some further information. Please find the links to the registration forms in the right column.
Day care on the Institute's Campus
KiTa at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
Day care close to the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
Kinderhaus at the Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine (bilingual)
both Krippe and Kindergarten with 20 spots reserved for children from employees of the Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, may also take children or our institute employees if vacancies are available. The day care facility is 5-10 minutes away from our institute close to the Universitätsmedizin.
Kosmos Kids at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (bilingual)
both Krippe and Kindergarten by the Montessori Verein Göttingen e.V. with a number of spots reserved for children of employees at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, may also take children from our institute if vacancies are available. The facility is only a few minutes away from our institute by car.
Kita am Nordcampus (bilingual)
Bilingual child day care for children of university students and employees, offers both a Krippe and a Kindergarten. The facility is located on the university's Nordcampus a few minutes away from our institute by car.
ASC Luisenkids Weende (bilingual)
Bilingual child day care predominantly for children of employees of the Evangelische Krankenhaus Göttingen-Weende, may also take other children if vacancies are available. It offers both a Krippe and a Kindergarten. The facility is located close to the B27, a few minutes away from our institute by car.
Waldorf-Kinderhaus Michael
Private Kita following the Waldorf educational priniciple and offering organic vegetarian meals. While they don't offer bilingual care, some employees speak good English and can organize all that's necessary in English. The facility is located in the Göttingen district Weende, about 15 minutes away from our institute by car.
Baumhaus Kita Nikolausberg
Both Krippe and Kindergarten by the evangelisch-lutherische Kirchgemeinde Nikolausberg (church-operated, children of all beliefs are welcome). While they don't offer bilingual care, some employees speak good English and can organize all that's necessary in English. The facility is located in the Göttingen district Nikolausberg, a few minutes away from our institute by car.
Die Arche
Kindergarten only, integrative child day care center by the Diakonisches Werk Christopherus e.V. (church-operated, children of all beliefs are welcome).
Other day care facilities offering bilingual care
ASC-Kinderbewegungshaus (bilingual)
It offers both a Krippe and a Kindergarten, its concept also includes a bilingual focus an doing sports in a playful way (currently, only the sign-up page is in English)
Kindertagesstätte "Bunte Welt" (bilingual)
It offers places for children of university students and employees, language education is optional. It has both a Krippe and a Kindergarten
Childminders as an alternative to Kitas
A popular alternative to child day care facilities, in particular for younger children, are childminders (Tagesmutter/ Tagesvater). Childminders are trained and certified child care givers who take care of up to 5 children in their private home. Some of them even offer a pick-up service. For students and employees of the Georg August University Göttingen as well as for employees of the Universitätsmedizin Göttingen (UMG) there is a service helping you to find a childminder, called Kindertagespflegebörse. If neither you nor your partner are affiliated with the University of Göttingen or the UMG, an Internet search using the term "Tagesmutter Göttingen" also yields results.