Rules

I. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS-ADMISSION

Article 1

The Family Room shall be reserved, subject to the availability of places, for the children of current Members of the European Parliament and the children of European Parliament officials or agents1 in Brussels.

a) to attend meetings of parliamentary committees, delegation or political groups, or for any reason connected with the exercise of their office (Members)

b) on mission away from their normal place of work (officials or other staff^[1]).

To be admitted, children must be aged over three months and under six years.

Decisions on admission are taken by the director of the family room or her deputy.

^[1]‘Other staff’ means temporary staff, auxiliaries, freelance interpreters and parliamentary assistants.

Article 2

Admission priorities are as follows:

Priority 1: Children whose mother or father is a current Member of the European Parliament ^[1]

Priority 2: Children whose two parents are officials or other staff members of the European Parliament and both work full time, or whose unmarried parent has sole responsibility for the child’s care and upbringing ^[1]

Priority 3: Children whose two parents are in full-time work, but only one of them is an official or other staff member of the European Parliament.

^[1]If there is a shortage of places, the following criteria will be applied: length of stay in Strasbourg and chronological order of applications.

Article 3

An application for admission (Annex 1 of these rules), duly completed and signed, must be submitted, if possible two weeks before the first day of the session, to the director of the family room, or given to her in the family room itself during the Parliamentary session preceding the one when the child is to be admitted.

An application for admission implies that the parents accept the rules and the director’s decisions on any emergency measures. An information sheet (Annex 2 of these rules) must be attached to the application.

Article 4

Use of the family room is subject to payment.

II. ORGANISATION

ARTICLE 5

The family room is open during Parliamentary session weeks from 13.30 on Monday, and 8.00 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays until 20.00. It is organised to fit in as closely as possible with Parliament’s timetable of work.

As an exception and on request, for reasons in connection with the requirements of Parliament’s work, the Administration may undertake to look after children on the Monday morning as well.

If an admission application is cancelled, or there will be significant variations in the stated times for the child’s arrival and departure, this must be notified as soon as possible.

Article 6

The child must be brought and collected by the person responsible for his or her care.

As an exception only, and on presentation of a dated and signed written authorisation, the child may be brought and collected by another person. The Administration reserves the right to check the identity of this person.

Article 7

Parents are asked to make sure that their children are clean on arrival, and dressed in clean clothes, as appropriate for integration into a group. They should bring any changes of clothes needed for the day and suitable clothing for the season (boots, sunhat etc). Clothing must be marked with the child’s name.

Article 8

Depending on their times of arrival and departure, children will be given lunch and an evening meal in the family room and mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks.

It is forbidden to bring sweets into the family room.

III. MEDICAL MATTERS

Article 9

No child who has a temperature or is ill will be admitted to or kept in the family room. If a child falls ill during the course of the day, the parents or legal guardian will be informed and may be required to come and collect him or her as soon as possible. The child will only be readmitted to the family room on presentation of a medical certificate stating that he or she is in good health.

Any contagious illness or parasite infestation must be notified immediately to the director. Parents or legal guardians are expressly required to notify her of any other illness that the child may have suffered at home.

If a child’s doctor has prescribed treatment, the prescription must be shown to the director before the child may receive the treatment in the family room.

PAYMENT

Following the Bureau’s decision at its meeting of 21 January 1993, a system of payment by tickets for the family rooms has been introduced.

Child care costs are paid by bank transfer (virement bancaire). Parents should contact the person in charge of of the crèche about how to pay.

Tickets will be provided by the person in charge of of the crèche on presentation of proof of bank transfer.

Payment is made for €5.40 multiplied by the number of half-days of attendance. Tickets cost €5.40 per half day (08.00 to 14.00 or 14.00 to 20.00)

Tickets are valid for half a day only. If the child stays all day, two tickets must be presented on arrival in the morning.