Joining the rainbowtrekkers
FAQ regarding our admission process
Following is a list of questions and answers describing our admission process. If you are interested in your child joining the rainbowtrekkers, you might find this information helpful.
If you’d like to submit a place request for your child, please use our place request form.
Are there still free spots available at rainbowtrekkers?
Currently, there are no free spots available.
When will you be able to tell me whether there will be free places available?
The availability of free caregiving places depends on various criteria, such as your preferred start date and the constellation within the kindergarten group itself (age, gender etc.). It might be a good idea to plan long-term.
On the other hand, there is always the possibility that a spot will open up during the year on a short term due to other children relocating out of town with their families.
Can we make an appointment to see the facilities of rainbowtrekkers?
In order not to interfere with the day-to-day activities on the group, we are currently not conducting any group visiting appointments during regular opening hours. However, if you have not yet done so, you are invited to send us a place request.
We will contact you directly, once it becomes apparent that a place that matches your search criteria could become available.
Why doesn't rainbowtrekkers contact us before?
As we receive many place requests every week, reaching out to you on a personal basis would at this point in time unfortunately exceed our resources. For the same reason, we are unable to provide information regarding the state of your application – neither per telephone, answering machine nor in person at the kindergarten.
This is not intended negatively; we simply do not have the time ressources available.
What happens in the meantime?
If you have contacted us using our place request form, your request will be saved on our waiting list.
Only when it becomes apparent that a place will be available for your child by a certain date, we will contact you and invite you to a personal meeting.
So when can we get to know the place?
Once we have contacted you and you are still interested in a place in our kindergarten, we will invite you to a personal meeting in one of our kindergartens.
Please understand that, due to time restrictions, we are unable to answer personal queries as long as we are not in a position to offer you a place.
What are the fees at rainbowtrekkers?
You will be asked to pay a nominal tuition fee to the city of Cologne and an additional payment covering food expenses directly to rainbowtrekkers.
Furthermore, we will ask you to support us through a sponsor association (Förderverein). You can find more information about the costs here.
What are the admission criteria at rainbowtrekkers?
The demand for caregiving places in town outnumbers the available kindergarten spots by far. That is why we decide upon admissions based on the following transparent criteria (ordered by importance):
- The child’s sibling(s) already attend(s) the kindergarten.
- The child’s age fits into the potential group.
- The child would contribute to a well-balanced mix of gender in the group.
- The parents reflect the values and the pedagogical concept of the kindergarten and declare themselves ready for an educational partnership.
- The admission of the child contributes to a balance of social and cultural diversity.
- The family is new in the city and without a support network.
Even if you have decided to live outside the city boundries of Cologne or if you are considering to move into town only at a later point, you can still send us a place request. Of course, we also admit children into our care who do not live in Cologne.
Members of:
