Uni-Tübingen

Support with the financing of childcare costs

As a family-friendly university, the University of Tübingen offers employees and scholarship holders support in financing childcare costs that they incur in connection with an academic or official activity. For this purpose, the Rectorate of the University has adopted a "Guideline for the Financing of Childcare Costs" and commissioned the Family Office to implement it.

Funding can be provided for childcare costs, for example, for off-peak and emergency care or costs incurred in connection with a conference, research trip or business trip.

Aim of the Funding

The aim of the funding is to reduce existing disadvantages for scientists burdened with childcare responsibilities and employees in academia. One focus is to promote scientific qualifications and career developments. The funding is also an equal opportunity measure for women.

Funding

Funding is primarily provided by third-party funds if available to the applicants (e.g. clusters of excellence, SFBs or graduate colleges). If necessary, however, funding from budgetary resources (equal opportunity programs of the faculties or central pool of funds of the Family Office) is also possible.

Eligibility criteria

Since subsidies for childcare costs are subject to complex income tax and budgetary conditions, they must follow the principle of economic efficiency and be taxed if necessary. Eligibility is therefore not given in every case.

The comprehensive eligibility criteria can be found in the Guideline. The full eligibility criteria can be found in the guideline. In the following, we have summarized the eligibility criteria to provide a quick and easy-to-understand overview.

The requested costs must be incurred by you as a result of your work at the University of Tübingen and must represent a financial burden for you.

The funding must follow the principle of economic efficiency. To receive funding, it is necessary that child care cannot be ensured at a lesser or no cost.

Please note in particular that childcare - e.g. a babysitter - must be booked via a so-called "institutionalized offer" (i.e. a babysitting exchange or similar) or the tax-law-compliant reporting of income by the caregiver must be proven. The billing of private babysitters is therefore not possible.

Age limits:

  • Non-core hours and emergency care: for single parents or where the other parent is absent: generally children aged up to 12
  • Substitute care: generally children aged up to 1 year
  • Costs in connection with a brief business trip: generally aged 14 for single parents; aged 3 for nursing children of couples
  • Costs in connection with a research trip that requires an extended stay: generally aged 14

Funding is not available for regular childcare in a daycare center or childminders.

There is generally no funding available for holiday care.

Business and research trips that involve a private visit are not eligible for reimbursement. 

Costs for care of children by relatives are not eligible for reimbursement.

Funding is provided for either an accompanying carer or local care.

The full eligibility criteria can be found in the guideline: Guideline for the financing of childcare costs

Application

Applications may be submitted as needed; thus, there is no application deadline. However, they must be submitted at least six weeks prior to the start of the funding period or event or service or research trip (exceptions are applications for emergency care).

Regardless of the type of funding, applications are submitted to the Family Office via a pdf form:

Application Form

Please send the signed form to the family office by email:

familienbuerospam prevention@uni-tuebingen.de.

Please note that if the grant is approved, it may be subject to income tax. In this case, the approved amount will be paid out in full, but the accrued taxes will be transferred to the tax office by the Landesamt für Besoldung und Versorgung and thus reduce your net income.

 

Contact

If you have any questions, please contact:
Irene Gust
Family Office of the University of Tübingen
07071 / 29 - 74958
familienbuerospam prevention@uni-tuebingen.de