The family centers are Salzgitter kindergartens that see themselves as hubs in the district in a network of "early help" for children and parents. They offer parents and guardians low-threshold access to advice and educational services. As contact points close to home, they are particularly suitable for reaching families and supporting them according to their personal needs.
The family centers are constantly evolving and are open to new influences that enable the further development of their work. The high level of commitment shown by the staff at the centers has prompted the "Heinz and Heide Dürr Foundation" in Berlin to provide funding to support the valuable work at the facilities.
The foundation's funds were used to finance a position for a coordinating "EEC counseling and family centers specialist". EEC stands for "Early Excellence", an educational model from Great Britain in which every child is seen as unique and is supported according to their personal potential, regardless of their social background. (Further information in the appendix!)
The holder of this new position, Katja Kepp, was introduced at the kick-off event "New impulses in the family centers" in Salzgitter at Arche 4 in Salzgitter-Bad. With Kepp, a specialist with many years of experience in family center work is taking over the financed position.
In their day-to-day work with children and parents, the family centers have found that the pedagogical "Early Excellence Concept" is a good starting point for equipping children and families with personal resilience against life crises. Another goal is to promote the independence and self-organization of families in socially disadvantaged environments.
Katja Kepp helps the family centers to intensify their work, provide new impetus and further expand the EEC approach, which is closely linked to the centers, and provide professional support.