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5.6.5 - Childcare Facilities for Staff
Institutional Childcare Support and Early Childhood Education Opportunities
Bahçeşehir University (BAU) is committed to supporting its academic and administrative staff in balancing professional responsibilities with family and childcare needs. Recognising that access to affordable, high-quality childcare is essential to equal employment opportunities, the University facilitates access to early childhood education and childcare services through its wider educational network and partnerships with selected childcare providers.
These arrangements are particularly important in supporting women's continued participation in employment, academic research, teaching, leadership, and professional development, by helping reduce the financial and practical challenges associated with childcare responsibilities.
Childcare and Preschool Opportunities within the Bahçeşehir Educational Network
As an integral part of Bahçeşehir Uğur Educational Institutions (BUEK), Türkiye's largest non-state educational network, Bahçeşehir University facilitates access to educational opportunities for employees' children through affiliated institutions, including Bahçeşehir College and Uğur Schools.
Through this institutional network, BAU employees can access educational and childcare-related support for their children at affiliated schools across Istanbul, including kindergarten and preschool facilities.
Financial support includes tuition discounts ranging from 50% to 100%, including free education through full scholarships, subject to the relevant institutional assessment and approval procedures.
These opportunities help reduce the financial burden of early childhood education and provide employees with access to established educational institutions while continuing their professional responsibilities.
The following affiliated Bahçeşehir College campuses offer kindergarten and/or other educational programs:
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.
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 staff.
Through these agreements, participating institutions offer special discounts on preschool tuition fees to BAU employees, helping reduce the financial burden of childcare and supporting their continued participation in professional and academic activities.
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 support employees in maintaining their professional commitments while ensuring that their children have access to appropriate care and early education opportunities. These arrangements form part of BAU's broader institutional commitment to supporting work–life balance for staff with childcare responsibilities.
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.
Access, Application and Institutional Coordination
The Human Resources Department serves as the primary point of contact for academic and administrative staff seeking information about childcare support, educational discounts, and scholarship opportunities.
Employees wishing to benefit from these arrangements may contact Human Resources to obtain the necessary documentation, receive guidance on available institutions, and complete the relevant application procedures.
Applications for discounts or full scholarships are reviewed and approved by the designated committee in accordance with institutional procedures.
Supporting Gender Equality and Women's Participation in Employment
BAU recognises that access to affordable and reliable childcare is an important factor in enabling parents to remain active in employment and professional life.
By facilitating access to kindergarten and daycare services, offering financial assistance through discounts and scholarships, and coordinating childcare-related support through Human Resources, the University seeks to reduce childcare-related barriers to employment and support the retention, career continuity, and professional advancement of its staff.
Although these opportunities are available to academic and administrative employees regardless of gender, they are particularly relevant to addressing the disproportionate impact of childcare responsibilities on women's participation in the workforce.
Through these institutional arrangements, BAU reinforces its commitment to SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by promoting family-friendly employment practices, shared caregiving responsibilities, and equal opportunities for professional participation and advancement.
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 also provides scholarship-based and free participation opportunities for the children of BAU's academic and administrative staff, offering an additional form of family-oriented educational support. These opportunities help employees access enriching educational and developmental activities for their children while supporting their family 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 Program provides structured educational activities for children in different age groups, including 4–6, 7–9, and 10–13 years. The program combines creative learning, drama, English-speaking activities, science-related experiences, movement, and other age-appropriate developmental activities within a scheduled educational framework.
The 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.
