Since 2014, the Gira Kita has been a part of our company headquarters in Radevormwald. It radiates an inviting atmosphere right from the outside, thanks to its large window front which extends over the entire length of the building. There is a lush green area for playing which has a slide, a large climbing frame, a sandbox and a spacious meadow for children to romp around, making it every child’s dream play area.

We cannot imagine our campus without this beautiful day-care centre now, especially because of its value, splendour and the fact that it is very well received by our employees.

"The Gira Kita was set up to make it easier for new parents at Gira to return to work after parental leave and to support them in balancing family and career," explains our personnel manager, Lisa Kotthaus, who is responsible for the area ‘Career & Family’ at Gira, among other things.

From her own experience and dialogues with her Gira colleagues, she has come to know of another strength of the Gira Kita in addition to the proximity to the workplace, which is that "The Gira parents appreciate the professional and yet familiar atmosphere here". This is ensured by the five nursery teachers, two housekeeping staff and the day-care centre manager, Ann-Kristin Hinüber. 30 children from zero to six years of age are looked after here, while the parents go about their day in the building behind the day care centre.

The Gira Kita is one of the several measures with which we would like to support our young parents. In addition, we also offer flexible work hours, corresponding counselling services and a sponsorship system for parental leave. And if that's not enough, we also find specific solutions to make it possible for each of us to effectively balance work and family life.

When asked what makes the Gira Kita special, our personnel manager can think of other good reasons. She says, "In addition to its location in the countryside in the immediate vicinity of the company and the above-average care, there is high-quality, age-appropriate equipment and plenty of space available". Regular events are also held, such as the annual summer party, the lantern festival and regular grandparents' parties, along with special one-off celebrations, like the fifth day-care centre anniversary in 2019.

The organisation of the Gira Kita is taken care of by the sponsor, KitaConcept from Wuppertal, with whom we are constantly expanding the offerings of our day care centre, such as the establishment of the pre-school children programme, ‘ResearchersGIRAffes’. It arranges excursions, for example to a zoo, a hospital, a bakery, a farm, and various real-life educational programmes, for example by the police, to help children understand everyday situations and professions.

We focused both on well-being and design while planning the Gira Kita building. Here, a modern exterior stands beautifully at the foot of hills while natural and sustainable materials contribute to the positive atmosphere inside. For a pleasant room temperature and natural lighting, the roof was greened over and the large window front was aligned to the north. As a result, the nursery is always bright without getting too heated due to the direct sunlight. We have also paid great attention to sound insulation. All built-in cupboards and ceilings are made of sound-absorbing materials. And for the children, the light-coloured wooden floor is perfect for playing.

When it comes to light switches and door communication, we naturally rely on our own products in the nursery, right from a video-supported door communication system to an automatic lighting control using presence detectors for maximum energy efficiency.

In 2020, the Gira Kita is already looking back on six years of its existence and is now ready to bid farewell to the first generation of pre-school children. Although the planned farewell party could not take place due to the Corona measures, an excursion to a farm and a treasure hunt with subsequent pizza party in the day-care centre took place instead. On the last day, the Gira parents of these pre-school children awaited them with balloons in front of the building.