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5.6.4 - Childcare Facilities for Students
Institutional Childcare Support and Early Childhood Education Opportunities
Bahçeşehir University (BAU) is committed to supporting students with children by facilitating access to childcare, preschool education, and educational support opportunities that help them balance their academic responsibilities with family life.
The University recognizes that childcare responsibilities can create significant financial and practical challenges for students pursuing higher education. These challenges may be particularly pronounced for women students, who often assume a disproportionate share of caregiving responsibilities and may face additional difficulties in attending classes, participating in academic activities, and maintaining continuity in their studies.
As an integral part of Bahçeşehir Uğur Educational Institutions (BUEK), Türkiye's largest non-state educational network, BAU facilitates access to childcare-related support and educational opportunities for students with children, helping them balance parental responsibilities with their academic commitments and maintain continuity in their studies.
These opportunities are particularly relevant to advancing gender equality, recognizing that access to affordable childcare and early childhood education can play an important role in supporting women's academic progression and professional aspirations.
Childcare and Preschool Opportunities within the Bahçeşehir Educational Network
Bahçeşehir Uğur Educational Institutions (BUEK) encompasses an extensive network of educational institutions in Türkiye, including Bahçeşehir College and Uğur Schools, providing educational opportunities from kindergarten through high school.
Through this institutional network, BAU facilitates access to educational and childcare-related support for students' children at affiliated schools across Istanbul, including kindergarten and preschool facilities.
A central component of this support is the provision of free and scholarship-based education for the children of BAU students at affiliated Bahçeşehir College schools, including kindergarten and preschool programmes. Students can benefit from free educational opportunities through full scholarships, alongside other scholarship arrangements, in accordance with the relevant institutional procedures.
These opportunities help reduce or eliminate the financial burden of their children's education, enabling student parents to balance parenting responsibilities with university studies and maintain continuity in their education.
By facilitating access to free and scholarship-based education at established educational institutions, BAU helps student parents address one of the practical challenges associated with continuing their education while raising children.
This support is particularly relevant to women students, including mothers who are pursuing education while managing family responsibilities.
The following affiliated campuses offer kindergarten and/or other educational programmes:
Atakent Tema Campus – Atakent Mah. 243. Sok. No:8 Küçükçekmece – İstanbul
Avrupa Konutları Campus – Avrupa Konutları Tem Sitesi, Karayolları Mah. Abdi İpekçi Cad. Küçükçekmece – İstanbul
Bakırköy Campus – İstanbul Cad. Hazırlık Sok. No:87 Yenimahalle, 34142 Bakırköy – İstanbul
Başakşehir Campus – Marmara Cad. No:1 Başakşehir, Bahçeşehir – İstanbul
Beylikdüzü Campus – Adnan Kahveci Mah. Selam Sok. No:5 Beylikdüzü – İstanbul
Bosphorus Campus – Altınşehir Yolu, İstanbul Cad. Sinpaş Bosphorus City, 221. Sok. No:6 – İstanbul
Etiler Campus – Levent Mah. Uğur Mumcu Cad. No:6 3. Levent Beşiktaş – İstanbul
Florya 2 Campus – Şenlikköy Mah. Eski Halkalı Cad. No:3 Florya Bakırköy – İstanbul
Florya Campus – Şenlikköy Mah. Selim Pars Sok. No:2 Florya – İstanbul
Göktürk Campus – Göktürk Merkez Mah. Kirazlıyol Sok. No:24/1B Eyüpsultan – İstanbul
Halkalı Campus – Atakent Mah. 240. Sok. No:3 Halkalı – İstanbul
Kemerburgaz Campus – BAU Future Campus, Mithatpaşa Mah. Pirinççi Yolu Cad. (Rumeli Yolu) – İstanbul
Mimaroba Campus – Muratçeşme Mah. Süleymaniye Cad. No:61 Mimaroba – Büyükçekmece – İstanbul
The geographical distribution of these institutions provides educational options for families living in different districts of Istanbul.
The free and scholarship-based arrangements for students' children are administered in accordance with the relevant institutional application and approval procedures.
Additional Childcare Support through Selected Kindergarten and Daycare Centres
In addition to childcare support provided through its affiliated educational institutions, Bahçeşehir University (BAU) establishes cooperation agreements with external kindergartens and preschool institutions to facilitate access to affordable childcare and early childhood education for the children of University students.
Through these agreements, participating institutions offer special discounts on preschool tuition fees to BAU students, helping reduce the financial burden of childcare and enabling students with parental responsibilities to continue their education, attend classes, fulfil academic requirements, and pursue their studies without unnecessary interruptions.
The participating institutions have been evaluated by Bahçeşehir University's Faculty of Educational Sciences, Department of Preschool Education, with attention to educational quality and appropriate early childhood learning environments.
By facilitating access to external childcare providers, BAU seeks to reduce childcare-related barriers to higher education, particularly for students who must balance academic commitments with parenting responsibilities. These arrangements support educational continuity, student retention, and equal opportunities for academic participation, helping ensure that childcare responsibilities do not prevent students from progressing towards completing their degrees.
As an illustration of these institutional arrangements, the images below present the official Education Discount Protocol between Bahçeşehir University (BAU) and Familya Private Kindergarten, including its cover page and Article 1 (Purpose). The latter explicitly outlines the agreement's objective of providing discounted kindergarten enrolment, demonstrating BAU's formal cooperation with external childcare providers to improve access to affordable early childhood education.
BAU Children's University and Complementary Educational Opportunities
In addition to childcare and preschool education, Bahçeşehir University's Children's University provides complementary educational and developmental opportunities for children.
Through educational activities designed to encourage curiosity, creativity, exploration, and learning, Children's University creates opportunities for young learners to engage with different areas of knowledge and develop new interests.
These activities reflect BAU's broader commitment to lifelong learning and to connecting university resources with educational opportunities for younger generations.
Bahçeşehir University's Children's University provides scholarship-based and free participation opportunities for the children of BAU students, offering an additional form of family-oriented educational support. These opportunities help student parents access enriching educational and developmental activities for their children while continuing their university education and fulfilling their academic responsibilities.
Although Children's University activities are complementary to regular childcare services, they contribute to the wider educational opportunities associated with BAU's institutional ecosystem.
The BAU Global Autonomous Learner Children's University Programme provides structured educational activities for children in different age groups, including 4–6, 7–9, and 10–13 years. The programme combines creative learning, drama, English-speaking activities, science-related experiences, movement, and other age-appropriate developmental activities within a scheduled educational framework.
The BAU Children's University program announcement and detailed weekly timetables presented in the images below illustrate the range of activities offered, the age groups served, and the structured nature of these educational opportunities. These materials provide supporting evidence of BAU's broader commitment to creating enriching learning experiences for children and extending educational opportunities to families within its university community.
Access, Application and Institutional Coordination
The Dean of Students Office serves as the primary point of contact for BAU students seeking information about childcare support, free and scholarship-based educational opportunities and available preschool and daycare services for their children.
Students wishing to benefit from these arrangements may contact the Dean of Students Office to obtain the necessary application documents, receive guidance on available institutions and requirements, and access information about the relevant application procedures.
The Office facilitates communication and coordination with the appropriate institutional units and participating educational institutions, helping students navigate the process of accessing childcare-related support.
Applications for free and scholarship-based educational opportunities are reviewed and processed in accordance with the relevant institutional assessment and approval procedures.
For childcare services offered by external nurseries, kindergartens, and daycare centres, the applicable age requirements, admission conditions, availability, and preferential arrangements are determined by the participating providers and relevant institutional agreements.
Through this coordinated process, BAU seeks to ensure that student parents can obtain the information, documentation, and institutional guidance necessary to access available childcare and educational support opportunities.
Supporting Women's Continued Participation in Higher Education
BAU recognizes that childcare responsibilities can affect students' ability to attend classes regularly, prepare for examinations, participate in academic activities, and maintain continuity in their education.
These challenges may be particularly significant for women students, including mothers returning to higher education or combining university studies with the responsibilities of raising young children.
The financial cost of childcare and early childhood education can also create additional pressures for student parents, particularly when combined with tuition, living expenses, and other educational costs.
Through free and scholarship-based educational opportunities within the BUEK network and access to additional childcare providers, BAU seeks to reduce these barriers and make higher education more compatible with family responsibilities.
The provision of free and scholarship-based education for students' children represents a practical form of institutional support intended to reduce the financial burden of childcare and early education while enabling student parents to continue pursuing their academic goals.
The availability of childcare-related support can also help students maintain greater flexibility in managing academic schedules, examinations, and other university commitments.
Although these opportunities support student parents regardless of gender, they are particularly relevant to addressing the disproportionate impact of childcare responsibilities on women's participation in higher education.
By recognizing the relationship between caregiving responsibilities and educational participation, BAU seeks to foster a more inclusive university environment in which students with children can pursue their academic ambitions without unnecessary disadvantages.
Contribution to Gender Equality and Inclusive Education
Bahçeşehir University's childcare support arrangements reflect its institutional commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality) and Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education).
The University recognizes that achieving gender equality in higher education requires more than ensuring equal opportunities for admission. It also involves addressing the practical and financial circumstances that may affect students' ability to continue their studies, participate fully in university life, and complete their academic programmes.
As part of one of Türkiye's most extensive educational networks, BAU is able to connect higher education with established preschool and school-based educational institutions, creating opportunities to support students with family responsibilities.
The provision of free and scholarship-based educational opportunities for students' children, together with access to selected childcare providers and complementary educational activities, contributes to a broader institutional approach to supporting student parents.
These arrangements are particularly important for women students, for whom childcare responsibilities may create additional barriers to educational participation and academic progression.
Through its integrated educational network and childcare-related support arrangements, Bahçeşehir University reinforces its commitment to ensuring that parenthood and caregiving responsibilities do not unnecessarily restrict students' opportunities to access, continue, and successfully complete higher education.
