Information for expectant parents

For students:

Important information for students who are pregnant or breast-feeding

The Maternity Protection Act (MuSchG) also applies since 1 January 2018 to studentsThis means that pregnant students are entitled to six weeks' protected maternity leave before and at least eight weeks' protected maternity leave after the birth.

In order to protect pregnant or breastfeeding students and your (unborn) child, the University of Passau is obliged to take measures to make it as easy as possible for you to reconcile pregnancy or parenthood with your studies. To enable the University of Passau to fulfil its duties, you must notify the university of your pregnancy or breastfeeding. Please use our online notification form for this purpose.

Please submit the following documents:

A certificate regarding the expected date of delivery, such as the relevant pages of the pregnancy record to determine the start (and expected end) of your protected maternity leave period.
A copy of your child's birth certificate and, if applicable, proof of the maternity leave protection extension after the birth, so that we can determine the (actual) end of your protected maternity leave period, and, if applicable, your informal declaration that you are breastfeeding your child
A listing of the courses you might want to visit in the current and next semester. The aim is to exclude possible dangers and to avoid or compensate for possible disadvantages due to pregnancy or breastfeeding from the outset (e.g. alternative dates for examinations).
Your data is only disclosed with your consent.

Once you have reported your pregnancy or breastfeeding status, you will receive a letter from the Diversity and Gender Equality Section informing you of the start/end of your protected maternity leave period. The letter counts as proof of your special protection status during the maternity leave period.

Examinations
You can take exams during maternity leave. Your registration for the examination will be considered an express waiver of your maternity leave exemption. However, you can revoke this waiver at any time (both before and during an exam before submitting the examination) with future effect by invoking the Maternity Protection Act. The revocation must be submitted to the Central Examinations Office in writing (e-mail is sufficient). No further proof (certificate) is required for this. However, after the examination it is not possible to revoke the waiver.

Please enclose the letter in which your protected maternity leave is specified for exam administration purposes. In the event that you do not sit or discontinue an examination for which you are already registered, present it to the Examinations Office or to the examiner or supervisor.

Before and after the protected maternity leave you will need a medical certificate if you do not sit or discontinue an examination for which you are already registered. In this case, the normal rules in the event of a failure to attend an examination due to illness apply.

Rest and breastfeeding breaks
An overview of the changing table locations, rest and breastfeeding rooms on campus can be found on the Family Service website, www.uni-passau.de/en/family/.

Assistants
Please also report your pregnancy or breastfeeding period to the Section in the Human Resources Division that is responsible for you.

Compulsory internship
Please report your pregnancy or breastfeeding period to your internship office.

Further details

For further details on the Maternity Protection Act, please refer to the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth's Guide for Maternity Protection and the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth's website..

Notification of pregnancy or breastfeeding

In order to ensure your protection as a pregnant or breastfeeding student and your (unborn) child, the University of Passau is obliged to take measures within the framework of the Maternity Protection Act (Mutterschutzgesetz, MuSchG) to make it as easy as possible for you to combine pregnancy or parenthood with your studies. For this purpose, we need some data and documents from you. Please use the following online form.

Student assistants
Please also report your pregnancy or breastfeeding period to the Human Resources department responsible for you.

Compulsory internship
Please report your pregnancy or breastfeeding period to your internship office.

Welfare Office

The Student Services Association for Lower Bavaria and Upper Palatinate's Welfare Office helps you to ease the balancing act between the lecture theatre and the crèche, between the library and nappy-changing table, and also helps to make studying and parenting more compatible. For any questions regarding social welfare, you can approach Ms. Elke Penteker; she can also help with personal life planning.

CampusEltern

The Student Services Association offers pregnant students and those with children the opportunity for dialogue and invites them to meet once or twice per semester. We also invite all those interested in learning more about family policy at the higher education institution.

Kid's Meal Mensacard

In addition, the University's refectory offers a free kid's meal to all students' children up to the age of six. Children can choose a main course and side dish from the current daily menu and eat with their parent free of charge upon presentation of the parents' "Kinderteller-Mensacard" (Kid's Meal Mensacard). The "Kid's Meal Mensacard" can be obtained from the MensaCard office in the central library in room 163 upon presentation of the parent's study certificate and the child's birth certificate.

Leave of absence due to pregnancy or child rearing

A leave of absence in accordance with § 48(2) of the Bavarian Higher Education Act (BayHschG) is possible in accordance with § 10 of the Matriculation Statute (ImmSa), provided that a written application was submitted in due time. A leave of absence can be granted if circumstances exist that entitle employees to maternity protection or parental leave. In this case, the leave of absence may exceed two semesters and is generally not credited to the subject semesters. Furthermore, during a leave of absence resulting from an entitlement to protected maternity or parental leave, students may make their first attempt at examinations (as opposed to other forms of leave which permit only resits to be taken during the leave period) in accordance with § 48(4) Bavarian Higher Education Act (BayHschG). After 25 ECTS credits have been earned during a leave of absence semester, the student's progress is advanced forward by one subject semester.

To apply for a leave of absence and to obtain further information please visit the Student Registration Office's website.
To obtain information on assessments for your degree programme, please visit the Examination Office website..

Important notice for BAföG or ALG II claims

You cannot receive BAföG during sabbaticals or semesters on leave. However, you can file an application for benefits under Social Code Book II (unemployment benefit II, "Hartz IV"). You can obtain further information via the Student Services Association and via the Federal Employment Agency.

If you are on leave of absence due to parenthood and you take exams or study and during your leave of absence semester, any existing entitlement to ALG II may be forfeited.
For further information please contact the Federal Employment Agency.

Deadline extension for term papers

Students who are on protected maternity leave are entitled to extend the deadline for submitting written term papers, seminar papers or dissertations/theses. It is stipulated in each study programme's examination regulations that the protection period for mothers according to §§ 3, 4, 6 and 8 of the Maternity Protection Act (MuSchG) must be taken into account when calculating all deadlines according to the respective study and examination regulations.

In concrete terms, this means that if you become pregnant or give birth to one or more children when you are a student, the deadline for submitting a written term paper or thesis/dissertation will be postponed by six weeks for the period before delivery (§ 3 MuSchG) and by a further eight weeks after the delivery of one child or by a further 12 weeks in the case of multiple births (§ 6 MuSchG). However, it is always possible to take part in assessments voluntarily.

Financial support

The double burden of bringing up children and studying is often a strain financially, too. There is some financial assistance to which you are legally entitled, and some which may be provided on a voluntary basis. Notable in this regard are, for example,
gifts from foundations or charitable associations, as well as financial benefits awarded in connection with special study achievements. You can get an overview of the individual funding opportunities from the Student Services Association for Lower Bavaria and Upper Palatinate and on the Women's Representatives' scholarship page.

For questions regarding maternity protection leave and/or the compatibility of family and studying

Executive Support Unit for Diversity and Gender Equality
Marie-Helene Wünsch and Dr Claudia Krell
familienservice@uni-passau.de
Phone: +49 851 509 ext. 1026 or 1023
Innstrasse 39, JUR, room 012 and 011
www.uni-passau.de/family

For questions regarding the application for leave of absence due to maternity and parental leave

Office of Student Affairs
studierendensekretariat@uni-passau.de
Contact form for leave of absence
Phone: +49 (0)851/509-1127 or -1128
Innstraße 41, VW, ground floor, 94032 Passau
www.uni-passau.de/studierendensekretariat

For questions regarding student financing (BaföG and others)

The Student Services Association for Lower Bavaria and Upper Palatinate's Welfare Office
Tatiana Cerescu
cerescu.t@stwno.de
Phone: +49 851 509 1900
Central Library building (Innstrasse 29), room 238
www.stwno.de/de/beratung/sozialberatung

If you have any questions regarding leave of absence and planning your further studies

Academic Advice Service
advice@uni-passau.de
Phone: +49 851 509 ext. 1154, 1153, 1152, 1151 or 1150
Innstrasse 39, JUR, rooms on the ground floor
www.uni-passau.de/en/academic-advice

For questions about health during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Dr med. Stefan Hafner, company doctor at the University of Passau
Praxis@Hausarzt-passau.com
Phone: +49 851 55552
Kleiner Exerzierplatz 14
www.hausarzt-passau.com

Psychological Counselling Service
Phone: +49(0)851/509-1153
Innstraße 39, JUR, rooms on the ground floor
https://www.uni-passau.de/en/counselling

For staff:

under revision

For all university members:

In 2021, the city and district of Passau have published a brochure (german) for local single parents.

For specific questions about your contract and for legally binding information, please contact the Human Resources Division.

In general, the Family Portal of the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs (BMFSFJ) provides an overview of parental leave registration, parental allowance and other family benefits.

The Passau Children's Hospital organises the following at regular intervals First-aid courses for child emergencies. The dates and information for registration can be found on the homepage of the Passau Children's Hospital.

The crèche, 'Krümelkiste', is located on the campus grounds. There are two groups of twelve children each, aged from eight months to three years. Preference is given to children of university members. Registrations are accepted throughout the year. Please ask for a place in good time!
More information is available in the crèche's leaflet
Phone: +49 851 509 1930
Address: Innstrasse 47
E-mail: leitung-krabbelstube@stwno.de

Employees and student parents of the University of Passau receive a Welcome Package when their child or children is/are born.
Upon presentation of (a copy) of the birth certificate, you will receive a greetings card, a University of Passau bib as well as information about the services offered by the University of Passau's Family Service and those offered by the Student Services Association for Lower Bavaria and Upper Palatinate and the university crèche.
To this end, employees should contact the responsible office in the Human Resources Division, students should contact the Family Service in the Gender Equality Section.

The Koordinierende Kinderschutzstelle (KoKi) (Coordinating Child Protection Agency) is a counselling and care service for young families, under-age mothers and fathers and parents with sole responsibility for upbringing during pregnancy and in the first years of life up to primary school age.

On the City of Passau's homepage, you will find an overview of childcare facilities in Passau.

The advice centre for pregnancy questions at the Passau Administration's Public Health Office provides information and regional points of contact in the form of an overview of addresses.

Donum Vitae e.V. is a recognised advice centre for expectant parents, families with children up to the age of three and for questions regarding family planning and sexuality.

Caritas pregnancy counselling offers help, support and discussions for all questions and problems before and during pregnancy, up to the third year of your child's life.

Family Portal

The Family Portal provides information on parental leave, parental benefits and other family benefits.
Contact the service telephone phone number for individual questions.

Baby Timer

The Baby Timer is a service offered by the Bavarian State Ministry for Family, Labour and Social Affairs, which (expectant) parents can use to keep track of all important dates and appointments before and after the birth (all the way up to their child's third birthday) and get important tips.

To help young families on low incomes to get off to a good start in the first phase of family life, ProFamilia collects and donates pregnancy clothes and baby equipment in good condition as part of its WonneProppen initiative.