Child care at Ghent University

Ghent University offers recognised and subsidised childcare for children aged 0 to 3 of staff and students.

Types of childcare initiatives

Welcoming parents

You can consult the list of reception parents on the Helan website.

Childcare centres

Below is a list of the nurseries you can contact:

  • Corneel Heymans crèche
    Kantienberg Campus, Stalhof 8
    9000 Ghent
    Tel 09 264 71 80
    Capacity: 84 children
  • Childcare centre De Sterre
    Campus De Sterre, Krijgslaan 281 S37
    9000 Ghent
    Tel 09 264 85 58
    Capacity: 42 children
  • Childcare centre De Stadskabouter
    UZ Campus, Corneel Heymanslaan 10 Entrance 78
    9000 Ghent
    Tel 09 332 00 60 and 09 332 00 61
    Capacity: 32 children
  • Childcare centre De Boskabouter
    Region Melle - Campus Gontrode, Potaardestraat 20
    9090 Melle-Gontrode
    Tel 09 264 90 89
    Capacity: 21 children
  • Childcare centre Het Koetshuis
    UFO Campus, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 136A
    9000 Ghent
    Tel 09 264 78 84
    Capacity: 14 children
  • Crèche De Parkkabouter
    Technology Park Campus, Grote steenweg Noord building 40
    9052 Zwijnaarde
    Tel 09 264 54 47 and 09 264 54 48
    Capacity: 28 children

Opening hours and closing days

Opening hours

Day nurseries: Monday to Friday from 7:30 to 18:30.

Reception parents: depending on the reception parent.

Closing days

Daycare centers: closed on public holidays and on predetermined bridging days. Annual closure during the Ghent Festivities (second half of July) and the 2 weeks following . The holiday dates for the following year are announced by written notification no later than 31 December.

Consult the closing periods of the daycare centers

Childminders: depends on the relevant childminder.

Priority rules

Daycare centers C. Heymans and De Sterre

In these daycare centres run by UGent, the persons below have priority according to this hierarchical order:

  • AUGent students (Ghent University, Hogeschool Gent, Hogeschool West-Vlaanderen)
  • University staff members and equivalent function group D - B
  • Staff members of Ghent University and assimilated at AP and ATP level as from job class A
  • Parents connected to institutions AUGent and who do not belong to category 1, 2 or 3.
  • Staff of UZ Gent
  • Parents not connected to AUGent or UZ Gent

Childcare centres De Stadskabouter, De Boskabouter, De Parkkabouter and Het Koetshuis

In these crèches, operated by Helan partners, the persons below have priority according to this hierarchical order:

  • Staff members Ghent University and equivalents level AP and ATP from job class A onwards
  • Staff members of UGent and assimilated function group D - B
  • Parents connected to AUGent institutions and who do not belong to category 1,2 or 3.
  • AUGent students (Ghent University, Hogeschool Gent, Hogeschool West-Vlaanderen)

Read more about the priority rules in the household rules.

How do you apply for a childcare place?

The same registration procedure applies to all reception initiatives at UGent, both for nurseries and for reception parents:

In some cases, you will need to add extra certificates or documents to your application in addition to the application form. Send these to kinderopvang@UGent.be as soon as possible and no later than 14 days after the application.

Please note! Your file cannot be processed and placed on the waiting list(s) until all required documents have been submitted. The date of registration also affects the allocation of places, according to the first come, first served principle. Therefore, we advise you to complete your file as soon as possible.

When will you know if you have been allocated a place?

Every month, the selection committee meets to check whether there are available places for your child(ren). No later than 1 week after the committee, you will receive a positive or negative answer by e-mail.

YES, THERE IS A RECEPTION PLACE

In case of a positive answer, you will be allocated a provisional place. To finalise this, you must follow the step-by-step plan below:

  • Invitation for a guided tour, explanation and signing of the contract

You will have a week to make your mind. If you want the place, the responsible of the daycare center will invite you for a visit and the signing of the contract.

  • Payment of reservation fee

The reservation of a childcare place only becomes final when the childcare agreement is signed and, as a result, parents are obliged to pay a reservation fee. The reservation fee is a fixed amount of 150 euros, which must be paid within one month of receiving the invoice. At the start of childcare, the reservation fee is automatically converted into a deposit.

This amount will be refunded when you leave the childcare centre and after payment of all invoices.

Please note!
The reserved place is granted definitively on condition that, at the time your child comes to care, you still meet the conditions under which the priority place was reserved for you for at least three months. For example, if you were given priority as a student when you applied, you must still be a student for at least three months at the time of childcare.

NO, THERE IS NO PLACE

In case of a negative answer, there is unfortunately no place in one of our childcare initiatives for your requested period/number of days. You can then go through the three options below to try and find a place:

  • Start a new application

Do you want to or can you change the parameters of your request? Then you can choose to restart the application procedure. A different start and/or end date for the period for which you are looking for childcare or the number of days of childcare per week can sometimes make the difference between getting a place and not getting one.

  • Looking for childcare yourself via the City of Ghent

If there is no room for your child(ren) through the childcare initiatives we offer, you can still register with the Childcare Centre of the City of Ghent. They offer a wider range of childcare facilities. You can register via kinderopvangpunt@stad.gent.

For more information on the application and allocation procedure of our childcare initiatives, please contact the Childcare Central Contact Centre UGent via Kinderopvang@UGent.be or by calling 09 331 24 74.

How much does childcare cost?

The care initiatives at UGent all work according to income-related parental contributions, set by Kind en Gezin. How much you pay therefore depends on your income, the number of dependent children and the length of stay (full days, half days).

You can calculate the financial contribution yourself on the Kind en Gezin website. The amount you have to pay and all additional costs are invoiced monthly.

Additional costs

In addition to the contribution for childcare itself, additional costs are charged for:

  • The use of nappies, care products and waste disposal
  • Administration and billing costs
  • Late collection of your child
  • Non-timely absences
  • Non-payment collection costs
  • Loss of or damage to nursery or reception parent materials

Tax deduction

Contributions paid are tax deductible for those liable to pay tax in Belgium. Every year, the childcare initiative provides you with a tax form for this purpose.

Contact

Ghent University Central Child Care Desk
kinderopvang@ugent.be
09 331 24 74