FAQ
Organisational
What are the kita opening times?
The Kita opening hours are Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 17:00.
We close for 2 weeks over the Christmas/new year holidays and 2 weeks during the Berlin summer school holidays.
Punctual closing times and dates:
- For pedagogical team meetings: every second week on Wednesdays the Kita closes at 16:30
- For instances of team coaching, further training, bridge days etc. These dates are communicated in the yearly plan at the beginning of the kita year
What are the monthly costs?
In every Berlin daycare center, parents pay a state mandated meal participation of €23 per child.
There is also an additional fee of €47 to cover the following:
- 100% organic quality of lunch
- Breakfast and snack (organic quality)
- Music class from an external provider
In total, that's €70 per month per child.
What is the registration process?
It always starts with filling out our registration form. When the time comes, we will invite you to a personal tour of the daycare center. This step is a prerequisite for getting a place.
For registration of 1-year-old children: we request visits from January to March, with confirmation at the end of March. We will sign the contract from May. The settling-in period begins in the new daycare year in August.
For children aged 2 and over: we will contact you during the course of the year when a place becomes available.
Please make sure to present a valid care voucher ("Gutschein") at the latest by the time the contract is signed.
What documents are needed at the start of the kita?
Before you start at TreeHaus, we need the following documents:
- Certificate of suitability for daycare from the pediatrician
- Vaccination certificate with proof of complete vaccination protection including measles
What does my child need to bring to the kita?
Upon starting at the Kita, we will ask you to provide the following items:
- a pyjama
- a change of clothes
- slippers
- summer gear: sun hat and sunscreen
- fall & spring gear: rain trousers and rubber boots
- winter gear: snowsuit, warm hat, scarf and gloves
- daily: a drinking bottle and a backpack to bring on outings
Additionally for the Hummingbirds (1-2 year olds):
- a drinking cup/bottle to use at the Kita
- diapers and cream
Who will be my child's teacher?
Each child has an assigned teacher who will follow their development and progress. They will lead the settling-in phase and the yearly parent-teacher meeting.
But as we are a small daycare center, your child will quickly get to know the whole team and will interact with different teachers on different days of the week.
How do you handle staff shortages?
We value continuity of care and know how important consistency is in a young child's life – our team is made of permanent educators and we also mentor teachers in training over three years. We ensure that your child is continuously in the care of known and trusted educators.
Most of our educators work part-time, which brings flexibility to ensure that there are always enough teachers to keep the Kita running. In cases where illness gets the best of our staff, our long standing "floater" will come over to support us.
And when the going gets really tough, we use the services of a placement agency so the Kita can stay open. In that case, we strive to get the same temporary teachers so the children always get familiar faces.
Educational
Which languages are spoken in the kita?
We are a bilingual Kindergarten and our main languages are German and English. Teachers are always in teams of two representing each language with the children. To know more about our bilingual approach, please read here.
In our team we have members who can speak French and Spanish.
Is there an outdoor playground?
We don't have an outdoor playground, however, we go to public playgrounds almost daily and we have different play areas in the kindergarten. You can get an overview of our space here.
How do you deal with children transitioning from nappies to toilet use?
We work closely with families in an educational partnership, so there is a continuity between what is taught at home and in the Kita.
How do you handle separation and transitions?
When welcoming a new child in the Kita, we work following the Berlin adaptation model. It is child-led, progressive and focuses on establishing the educator of reference as a trusted adult for the child. We advise parents to never leave without saying good-bye but also not to linger, as it could make the separation more difficult for the child.
Transition in general are announced and prepared, so that children know what to expect and feel safe. The adaptation phase lasts between 3 and 6 weeks depending on each individual child.
How do you prepare for primary school?
Our 5-6 year olds are the pre-schoolers and that last year of Kita will be used to help them master all the skills necessary to do well in school. They will regularly get special activities and have a dedicated corner in one of our rooms.
At the end of the year, the TreeHaus summer party is the event where our little "graduates" are celebrated and said good-bye to, as a rite of passage.
What if my child has special needs?
In our team, we have two Special Educators for Integration, trained to work with children one-on-one to support their individual development and integration into the group.
As an anti-bias Kita, we want to welcome every child regardless of their abilities or background. If your child needs special attention in one area or another, we will learn about it with you and figure out if we are able to support your child, within the boundaries of the facilities and staff that we have.
Routine
Is there a daily routine?
Yes. We have a structured routine in place so children know what to expect during the day. You can view it here.
What happens at breakfast, lunch and snack?
Meals are special moments at the Kita, when children share and talk. We like to protect these moments of conviviality and ask parents to refrain from bringing or picking up their children in these time slots.
Breakfast is served 08:30-09:00 and is a diverse menu of fruits and vegetables, cereals, bread and buns.
At lunchtime we offer a vegetarian meal, provided by Smart Cooking, a vegetarian 100% organic caterer. Our lunch menu is balanced and built to meet the nutritional needs of small children.
Snack time is served 14:30-15:00. It is a mixture of healthy snacks, tasty treats and fruits and vegetables.
All our meals are vegetarian, organic where possible and prepared daily.
How do you organise the midday nap?
All children are given the opportunity to rest at midday. The Hummingbirds (1-2 year old) are offered to nap between 12:00 and 14:00, the Sunflowers (3 year old +) between 13:00 and 14:00.
Each child has their own mattress and bedsheets. Before nap, they are changed and dressed into something comfortable. The curtains are drawn and we put on fairy lights, sing lullabies and play calming music. If children need more help to sleep we will hold their hands, pat their backs or rock them gently. If a child doesn't want to sleep, we will never force them.
That is why we call this time "Quiet Time" as children are not required to sleep but we consider important for them to have some time to wind down, relax and process their experiences form the morning. Older children who do not nap anymore typically play quiet games, read picture books or draw.
How are drop-off and pick-up organised?
Drop-off times are 08:00-08:30 and 09:00-09:30. Children hang up their coats and take off their shoes, then go wash their hands before they join their educator in one of the pedagogical rooms.
Pick-up times are 14:00-14:30 and 15:00-17:00.
Children will be brought or sent to their parent in the Welcome area.
We also have a sheltered area in the courtyard on the other side of the building where you can leave your pram.
What happens if I am late to pick-up my child?
We like to operate on the basis of trust and communication, sometimes problems just happen and we have an understanding for this. We also need to find a balance between supporting you and respecting our teachers' time. If late pick-ups happen more than exceptionally, we will ask you to either extend your voucher, book additional hours or we will have to enforce the general rule.
The general rule goes: late pick-ups (above 15min) will be charged 14€/hour.
Alternatively, if you know you need additional care hours in excess of your voucher and during our opening hours, you can book them with us one week in advance for 7€/hour.
Safety and data protection
What happens when my child gets sick or hurt?
Boo-boos of everyday life are cared for at the Kita using our first aid kit. They are always reported to parents upon pick-up.
For anything serious, we will call you at the phone number given upon registration. Sick children (fever, vomiting, other acute symptoms) will need to be picked up by a parent.
Our team is up to date and regularly follow a first aid course to act best according to the situation.
What is the policy around taking pictures and videos of my child?
We take photos and videos of the children exclusively for internal purposes: documentation, activities in the daycare, etc. The images are printed and archived, and are deleted from the devices weekly.
We use the communication app Famly to show parents pictures of our everyday life throughout the day. This app is GDPR compliant.
We never publish photos or videos on our social media accounts that show the children's faces. All images of children on this website are archive photos and not of our actual daycare children.
What is the process to check employees backgrounds?
During the selection process, we check all important documents, including certificates and references. All new employees must provide a police clearance certificate showing that they have no criminal record.
Applicants also go through an extensive selection process: an initial video interview, two days of observation and a questionnaire on attitude and behavior. These help us to get to know the person better and to observe how they work with the children and in the team.
What are the measures for child safety?
Like all daycare centers in Berlin, we have developed a child protection concept. It describes our actions and processes for dealing with suspected child endangerment. The protection of the child always comes first.
We also attach great importance to prevention and knowledge. Our educators receive further training and regularly reflect on these topics. Management sets up and implement measures to avoid overload and burnout.
The children are also strengthened by respecting their boundaries and teaching them protective behavior in everyday kita life.
Our concepts are available in the daycare center and can be sent to you by email upon request.