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As long as Paul was still in kindergarten, we had it really good. They were practically open every day and even offered emergency care over the holidays," Angelika H. recalls somewhat wistfully. The 45-year-old works 80% of the time for Deloitte as an auditor and is now the mother of a third-grader. "My husband works full-time and we each have 6 weeks of vacation a year that we can take. That's quite a lot compared to the European average, but unfortunately it's not enough for 13 weeks of school holidays," Paul’s mother knows.
To optimally coordinate childcare and her work even with the start of school, the auditor arranged an emergency solution early in case her child is sick and neither she nor her husband can be absent from work. "We both have appointments where you simply can't be absent," the 45-year-old clarifies. That's why, in April 2012, Angelika H. turned to famPlus with the idea of finding a surrogate grandma for emergency situations.
I knew from conversations with colleagues that there is a mediation service for families that we can use. And then I also found the relevant information in our intranet," reports Angelika H.. The 45-year-old found registering and logging in to famPlus to be completely uncomplicated, as well as filling out the online form in which the key details of the needs are recorded. After a phone call in which a famPlus employee asked her expectations a bit more precisely, the auditor received two proposals with surrogate grandmothers from the area. "We met both of them, Paul found them very nice, and I was very satisfied with the service.
The certainty of being able to rely on one of the ladies referred by famPlus in an emergency had already greatly reassured her, Angelika H. concludes her first experience with the placement service. And so, in May 2012, Paul's mother turned to famPlus again to arrange care for the summer holidays. "I was then suggested an English camp here in Frankfurt, where learning takes place in the mornings and sports, games, and crafts are offered in the afternoons," reports Angelika H. Her son Paul enjoyed it there: "It was a bullseye. And this year, Paul went back there again during the summer holidays.
In July 2013, the auditor had her third contact with famPlus. And this time, the placement service was able to help her out of a childcare emergency situation: "I called on Friday and explained that I had a childcare problem because my parents had fallen ill at short notice. They were actually supposed to take care of Paul for three weeks. And that's why I needed childcare for one week starting from the following Monday." Angelika H. summarizes this challenge by saying that it couldn't really be planned any more last-minute.
The employee from famPlus then had the idea that Paul could stay longer at the English camp and took care of making it happen. Would I have had the same presence as a private individual?" the 45-year-old realistically assesses her chances. "I do think that the professional mediation was a success factor in this short-term matter. Of course, I could have asked myself, but a mediator has a completely different standing," is the auditor's assessment.
Paul's mother summarizes that it was a great relief to be able to rely on professional childcare through her employer's assistance. "I really received help. And I only had to worry for one night about how it would all work out," she says, adding that she is extremely satisfied with the quick and competent service from famPlus. "You can plan a lot in advance," summarizes Angelika. "But the fact that my childcare shortage was resolved so quickly and perfectly was fantastic.
