How the University of Graz supports families

The Family Service at the University of Graz is the point of contact for parents and employees with care responsibilities. Photo: AdobeStock/oksix

Whether it's childcare or caring for family members, the University of Graz supports employees and students with a wide range of services. From vacation programs and playrooms to advice on care work, the university, which is certified as family-friendly, helps students and staff to balance everyday campus life and family responsibilities in a flexible and unbureaucratic way.

Almost 30,000 students and more than 4,000 people study, conduct research, and work at the University of Graz, and they are at different stages of their lives. One of the major challenges is balancing studies or work with family life. As a certified family-friendly university, the University of Graz supports employees and students with a range of services, which are bundled in its family service.

“90 percent of our inquiries concern issues relating to children,” explains Julia Spiegl from the Family Service. Often, these inquiries are about childcare. "The Family Service provides information and advice on questions relating to returning to work and childcare that arise in the context of working at the University of Graz or in connection with the international mobility of families. The university itself has almost 200 childcare places, which are offered by providers on its behalf in accordance with the public funding system.

During the holidays, the University of Graz even offers several options: KinderuniGraz and Kinderkunsthochschule offer attractive holiday programs. The Family Service itself also provides concrete help: “Kinderspaß am Campus” offers reliable places for employees' children, with no waiting list. “We reduce or expand the offer as far as possible in line with demand,” explains Spiegl.

Service for parents

Outside of the holiday season, the Family Service tries to make life with children on campus easier with numerous initiatives. Expectant parents receive a “Hello Baby” gift as a small welcome to the new phase of life. On the Family Service website, moms and dads can also find an overview map showing changing tables on campus.

The specially equipped children's room is also marked on the map. The quiet room with all kinds of toys and a small kitchen is located behind the Alumni Lecture Hall. Parents can access it without any red tape at the Family Service. A Kids Box with various activities is currently being set up for university events – so that the little ones are well entertained during conferences or congresses.

Care responsibilities

Family doesn't just mean children: those who care for relatives can also find support at the Family Service. “We see our role here as providing advice and networking,” explains the department head. “Before anyone contacts the HR department or the authorities, we offer help with the preparation. This lowers the inhibition threshold for addressing care responsibilities with managers in the first place,” says Spiegl.

The Family Service regularly offers counseling sessions on various topics. “These sessions address individual questions in a confidential setting.” All information and services are available on the Family Service website.

Roman Vilgut

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