GSiK

Early help, interdisciplinary cooperation and networking

Dr Thomas Meysen, Hanne Stürtz, Lydia Schönecker, German Institute for Youth Welfare and Family Law e.V., DIJuF, Heidelberg

Dr Heinz Kindler, German Youth Institute, DJI, Munich

Prof Dr Uta Meier-Gräwe, Justus Liebig University Giessen

"Guter Start ins Kinderleben" was a pilot project for the early promotion and strengthening of parents' relationship and parenting skills for the effective prevention of neglect and child endangerment at an early age. The most important basis of the pilot project was the conviction that successful child protection must be interdisciplinary and can only be organised in a sustainable and meaningful way against the background of existing services and regular structures. The objectives included the establishment and further development of existing interdisciplinary forms of cooperation and networking structures for help for young parents, the further training of specialists in "developmental psychology counselling for parents with infants and toddlers" to strengthen parental parenting and relationship skills and the training of specialists at the interface between health and youth welfare services to recognise and deal with the need for help in young families.

The project was carried out at model locations in the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Rhineland-Palatinate and Thuringia. The results of the project were published in the "Networking workbook". The project paved the way for local network structures in the Federal Child Protection Act (BKiSchG). Other projects in the context of the development of early help were

• Netzwerk Frühe Hilfen und Kinderschutz (funded by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Family, Women and Senior Citizens)
• Munich Model of Early Recognition and Early Help for Families with High Psychosocial Stress: Evaluation of Early Help (funded by the City of Munich)
• Prevention programme "Future of Düsseldorf's children" (funded by the City of Düsseldorf)
• E-learning Early Help and Early Intervention in Child Protection (funded by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Family, Women and Senior Citizens and the UBS Optimus Foundation)

Fegert, J.M., Ziegenhain, U. Bolte, D. & Künster, A.K. (2010). Early help in the area of conflict between general support and prevention of child endangerment. FamPra.ch 1, 77-100.

Kindler, H., Ziesel, B., König, C., Schöllhorn, A., Ziegenhain, U. & Fegert, J.M. (2008). Support sheet for youth welfare: Sheet to support help planning in early childhood. The Youth Welfare Office, 81, 467-470.

Künster, A.K., Hägele, M., Schunk, M., Mielck, A., Mosandl, A., Kopecky-Wenzel, M., Kurz-Adam, M., Eder-Debye, R., Fegert, J. & Ziegenhain, U. (2013). Munich Model of Early Recognition and Early Intervention for Families with High Psychosocial Stress. Evaluation of early help. Psychology in Education and Teaching, 60, 59-74.

Künster, A.K., Ziesel, B. & Ziegenhain, U. (2009). The earlier the better? When child protection should begin. Frühförderung interdisziplinär, 28, 51-60.

Meier-Gräwe, U. & Wagenknecht, I. Expertise: Kosten und Nutzen Früher Hilfen - Eine Kosten-Nutzen-Analyse im Projekt "Guter Start ins Kinderleben". Cologne: National Centre for Early Intervention (NZFH).

Pillhofer, M., Spangler, G., Bovenschen, I., Künster, A.K., Gabler, S., Fallon, B., Fegert, J.M., & Ziegenhain, U. (2015). Pilot study of a program delivered within the regular servicesystem in Germany: Effect of a short-term attachment-basedintervention on maternal sensitivity in mothers at risk forchild abuse and neglect. Child Abuse & Neglect, 42, 163-173.

Schönecker, L. (2009). Co-operation and protection of trust in early intervention - an either - or? Frühförderung interdisziplinär, 28, 61-70.

Wagenknecht, I, Meier-Gräwe, U. & Fegert, J.M. (2009). Early help pays off. Frühförderung interdisziplinär, 28, 82-91.

Ziegenhain, U. & Fegert, J.M. (2009). Interdisciplinary co-operation and networking for improved prevention in child protection. Frühförderung interdisziplinär, 28, 71-81.

Ziegenhain, U., Himmel, R. & Künster, A.K. (2014). Quality development in the Early Intervention and Child Protection Network. Practical handbook. Federal Initiative for Early Intervention.

Ziegenhain, U., Schöllhorn, A., Künster, A.K., Hofer, A., König, C., & Fegert, J.M. (2010). Workbook on networking. Opportunities and stumbling blocks of interdisciplinary co-operation and networking in the field of early help and child protection. Cologne: National Centre for Early Intervention (NZFH).

Mail: forschungshaus.kjp@uniklinik-ulm.de

Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth