Early help to support parents in parenting issues

As the term suggests, the aim of early help is to offer parents and children support as early as possible. However, "early" also stands for young: the support services are based on the age of the child and usually relate to the 0-3 age group.

Here is an excerpt from the definition of the NZFH (Nationales Zentrum Frühe Hilfen) from 2009:

"Frühe Hilfen form local and regional support systems with coordinated support services for parents and children from the beginning of pregnancy and in the first years of life, with a focus on the 0-3 age group. They aim to improve the development opportunities of children and parents in the family and society at an early stage and in the long term. In addition to practical day-to-day support, Early Help aims to make a particular contribution to promoting the relationship and parenting skills of (expectant) mothers and fathers. In doing so, they make a significant contribution to the healthy upbringing of children and ensure their rights to protection, support and participation."

You can find the entire definition at

http://www.fruehehilfen.de/fruehe-hilfen/was-sind-fruehe-hilfen/

Early help includes family education services as well as specific services for families in particular problem situations.

The idea of networking is also of central importance here: youth welfare services, the health system and pregnancy advice centers should be able to provide families with better advice through networking and cooperation with each other and arrange suitable services and support options.

The district of Neuwied offers numerous services in the area of early help. The Department for Youth and Family (District Youth Welfare Office) offers the following services:

• Use of family midwives/Family health and pediatric nurses
• Early intervention in cooperation with the curative education and therapy center
• Appropriate counseling (parent counseling in the daycare center by specialists from the Diakonisches Werk and the counseling center of the Diocese of Trier)

Independent providers are also active in the area of early help. For example, the Neuwied district administration supports the volunteer project Wellcome - practical help after birth®, an offer from the Catholic family education center Neuwied e.V.(Wellcome).

Diakonie provides families - including those with older children - with so-called family mentors .

Children are getting older, family structures are changing and new requirements are being added. It is therefore our concern to support families even if they are no longer in the classic age range of early help. This is why we also offer the following services:

• Learning mentors
• School social work (partly project-based)

General family education services, both in the health and social areas, can be found at the Catholic Family Education Center Neuwied e.V.(Fbs Neuwied).