LittleOrbiters –
the EUMETSAT Childcare Centre
Am Kavalleriesand 35
64295 Darmstadt
Welcome to LittleOrbiters, the EUMETSAT Childcare Centre in Darmstadt
EUMETSAT’s childcare centre is being built on the EUMETSAT campus which is situated on the intersection of the roads "Am Kavalleriesand" and "Eumetsat-Allee" in the west of Darmstadt. The childcare centre will be easily accessible for employees as it is situated opposite the main car park and also has its own parking spaces and cycle racks.
The bright modern childcare centre building is being built under the auspices of EUMETSAT and is made up of three spacious group rooms, each with its own side room and bathroom. In addition, it boasts a multipurpose room and an additional room for educational activities. The heart of the childcare centre is an open bistro where the children can enjoy their meals together. The spacious outdoor area will be largely shaded by lime trees.
The childcare centre will cater for three groups of children: two groups of 11 children aged four months to their third birthday, and one group of 22 children aged 3 to 6 years.
Christina Meierhöfer
Head of Childcare Centre
„Through others we become ourselves.“
Lev S. Vygotsky
Dilan Karagöz
Deputy of Childcare Centre
"Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world."
Maria Montessori
About TfK
Terminal for Kids gGmbH (TfK) was founded in 2006 as a non-profit organisation for independent youth welfare services. Our primary mission as a Group subsidiary of Fraport AG was to create nursery places that meet the needs of working parents and their children. The first Childcare Facility for the children of employees of Fraport, Lufthansa, Sanofi Aventis and Infraserv was opened in Frankfurt back in September 2006 but it is also open to children from Frankfurt’s urban districts. In addition to the bilingual focus in this international environment, TfK attaches particular importance to loving and high-quality childcare in addition to flexible opening and childcare hours with minimum closing hours and the option of early drop off.
We see ourselves as a family-supporting provider, the child and his/her family being given high priority. Our aim is to teach the children in our Childcare Facility social and emotional values and skills such as self-esteem, a sense of responsibility, helpfulness, curiosity, cognitive skills, conflict management, friendliness and respect. We respect and accept the individual personality of each child and promote their strengths.
We are particularly proud of our diverse extra educational provision such as animal-supported education with our therapy companion dogs and our own children’s farm “Farm for Kids”, which all our children are allowed to visit regularly at least once a month. It is often difficult for working parents to give their children the opportunity to experience our natural environment at such close range, especially if they live in the city.
We also pay special attention to our nutritional concept. Our kitchen team prepares all meals freshly every day according to the wholefood principles. All ingredients come from organic, preferably regional cultivation with no added sugar. We bake our own bread and make our own sandwich spreads. The meals for the EUMETSAT childcare centre will be prepared every day in our own kitchen in Frankfurt and then brought to Darmstadt still warm.
Our world is becoming more colourful and diverse. A multicultural society thrives on dialogue with one another and communication is the tool for this. It forms the basis for all learning. In our nurseries, multicultural work is carried out at different levels, based on the immersion method according to the principle “one person – one language”. This means that one person speaks only one language and does this consistently all the time.
Additional offers
Educational Concept
Please find more information about our Educational Concept in the file below:
Would you like to learn more about our parents' app?
Here you will find a short introduction and presentation of the functions.
Impressions
General Rules
The purpose of these rules is to describe the cornerstones of childcare at EUMETSAT’s LittleOrbiters Childcare Centre (“LittleOrbiters”). They contain a lot of useful tips for parents as well as key state-ments on important policies of the childcare service operated by Terminal for Kids (TfK).
Fees
The fee for a full-day place at the childcare centre is 555 Euros per month in the year 2024. The contribution for subsequent years will be determined each year within the framework of EUMETSAT's economic planning. The fee is payable once the place is provided as agreed in the contract, which is usually at the start of the familiarisation period.
The place in the facility is also available during parental leave and all other paid absences at EUMETSAT at no extra cost.
For additional information please download the price list below:
Pre-registration
EUMETSAT staff members are now able to pre-register childcare places at LittleOrbiters via the Terminal for Kids website. If demand exceeds supply, a points system will be used to allocate places.
Please note that you are encouraged to fill in the application form at least 6 months in advance the date that you would like your child to start at the childcare centre. Pre-registration of children who are not yet born can be made from the sixth month of pregnancy onwards.
Please send the filled in and signed pre-registration form to the follwing e-mail address: littleorbiters@tfk-kitas.de
Meals
Meals can be booked for 90 euros per month; these consist of a full breakfast and lunch as well as snacks and drinks.
Opening hours
The childcare centre will open on Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Closing times
The childcare centre will be closed for two weeks during the summer and two weeks over Christmas and New Year. It will also be closed on Hessian public holidays and on the four to six other annual EUMETSAT holidays. The closing times for the year in question will be announced in advance.
Visit
You will be informed if guided tours/visits are possible.