KfW childcare centre celebrates its 50th anniversary

• Measure for reconciling work and family life
• Facilities renovated in 2023; first trainee to become a state-accredited kindergarten teacher
• Care places for 45 children in KfW’s own childcare centre; additional capacity for ten children and 66 infant care places with cooperation partners

KfW Group’s childcare centre is celebrating its 50th anniversary today. In 1973, the institution was the first in-house kindergarten to open its doors in the Frankfurt banking sector, initially close to the KfW headquarters on Bockenheimer Landstrasse. The move to Schumannstrasse took place in 1984, where the childcare centre is still located today. Then, as today, the full-time childcare service is an important measure for reconciling family and career and benefits the employees of KfW and KfW IPEX-Bank.

“KfW has a long tradition of pursuing a family-conscious human resources policy. In order to provide employees with the best possible support in reconciling family and career, KfW established a comprehensive range of childcare services with its childcare centre as many as 50 years ago,”

said Bernd Loewen, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer of KfW.

“The KfW childcare centre is part of a wide range of measures to improve the compatibility of work, family and care. This includes, for example, remote work arrangements, flexible working hours and part-time models. KfW’s daycare centre ensures the necessary childcare.”

KfW’s childcare centre was renovated in 2023, just in time for the anniversary. It now has a total of six multifunctional themed spaces aimed at constructively strengthening children’s skills and their development. In the studio, children can express their creativity when working with wood at the workbench or painting, crafting and sewing. The group room with the associated play house including several levels offers opportunities for role playing and dressing up. A large Lego area invites children to build things. Eating takes place in the dining room, which can also be converted into a room for board games. The children also have space in the garden for running, sliding and climbing. During bad weather, children can use the homework room with a convertible table tennis table. The library includes a chess corner and provides space for the necessary quiet time.

The next generation is also important to us in another way. For the 2023 training year, KfW’s childcare centre will hire the first trainee to become a state-accredited teacher.

At the KfW childcare centre, 45 children from the age of three can be looked after all day. After kindergarten, interested parents also have the opportunity to arrange after-school care for children of primary school age.

In addition, slots for ten children are available at the Erasmus kindergarten in cooperation with a parent association, as well as slots for 66 children at two other infant care centres. Parents at KfW and KfW IPEX-Bank can also have their children looked after in emergencies or during school holidays throughout Germany for up to ten days a year.