About Eichstätt as the winning municipality of the ranking, the editors say: "Located in the middle of the Altmühlthal nature park, family friendliness has always been a top priority here. In addition, all available statistical data match. Every fifth resident in the town is younger than 20, the unemployment rate is just over one percent, and the number of existing and also newly built apartments is well above the German average." The commitment of the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt in terms of family friendliness is also praised.
As early as in 2004, the KU was the first Bavarian University to receive the "Family-Friendly University" award as part of an audit process conducted by the Hertie Foundation. As part of this commitment, it signed the “Familie in der Hochschule” charter in September 2016. The initiative, which has been in existence since 2007, acts as a network for the participating universities and higher education institutions, offering them the opportunity to exchange information, share their experiences with the other members and continuously develop standards for greater family-friendliness. The project is funded by the Robert Bosch Foundation and supported by the Center for Higher Education Development (CHE).
The KU offers practical help for students with children – such as diaper-changing and quiet rooms, high chairs and children's plates in the canteen or places in the University crèche Uni Kinderhaus. University employees have flexible work schedule options and – like students – receive assistance in finding childcare options in the region, if needed. In addition, the KU has significantly expanded home office and flexitime options for employees. In order to render the course of study more family-friendly, some degree programs can also be completed in part-time. The University has also developed a guide for lecturers to appropriately take students' family responsibilities into account and to help them balance their studies and family life.
With regard to family friendliness, the KU not only takes into account the needs of students and employees who are caring for children, but also offers support if they are involved in the care of relatives.
More information is available at https://www.ku.de/en/campus-life/family-friendly-ku. Details of the ranking are published at https://kommunal.de/familienfreundlichkeit-ranking-2022.