Umicore and Evonik expand their in-house daycare center, “umikids world”

Umicore und Evonik erweitern betriebseigene Kindertagesstätte „umikids world“

Following an intensive renovation phase, the circular materials technology group Umicore and the specialty chemicals company Evonik yesterday celebrated the official opening of a second group at their company daycare center, “umikids world.” This expands the companies' childcare capacity by 10 places, offering their employees a total of 22 daycare places with immediate effect. 

The facility in Hanau-Wolfgang, which provides daily care for children of Umicore and Evonik employees aged two months to kindergarten age, is operated on behalf of the two companies by pme Familienservice gGmbH. With opening hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., the service is particularly flexible for working parents. The daycare center is easily accessible due to its proximity to the Wolfgang industrial park. The new, additional space is invitingly designed and, like the existing premises, offers the little ones plenty of room to play, learn, and discover.

The opening celebrations began with a warm welcome from Martina Seehausen, authorized signatory of the non-profit limited liability company and head of daycare management at pme-Familienservice. Dr. Bernhard Fuchs, CEO of Umicore AG & Co. KG, pointed out the increasingly important role of work-life balance for companies: "Not only does what the company offers play an increasingly important role in job interviews, but it is also important to us that well-trained colleagues who are very committed to the company return to us promptly after parental leave. At the same time, however, it is becoming increasingly challenging for parents to find childcare close to where they live or work. We are therefore proud to be able to offer them more places thanks to the expansion of ‘umikids world’, so that they know their young children are being lovingly cared for close to the workplace."

Kerstin Oberhaus, Evonik site manager, added: "As one of the largest employers in the region, we are committed to providing our employees with the best possible support. The expansion of the daycare center reinforces this commitment. When parents know that their children are well cared for, they are better able to meet the demands of their professional lives. We look forward to continuing to accompany our employees' children on their journey and enabling them to have a happy time at ‘umikids world’.“
Following the opening speeches, Oberhaus and Fuchs presented the name tags for the two kindergarten groups, whose names, ‘Raspberries’ and ”Blueberries," were chosen from an employee survey.

A joint painting activity with the children and their parents rounded off the lively opening ceremony. The event came to a close with a buffet meal and conversations between parents and company management while the little ones explored the new premises.