Support System for New Families: Community-Based Assistance for Young Parents
In the city of Bergisch Gladbach, a program called "Early Support" is making a significant difference in the lives of families. This initiative, which provides support from pregnancy to a child's third year, is the brainchild of Ulrike Erstling from the Rheumatological Specialist Assistance Association in Bergisch Gladbach.
At the helm of this program is Martina Maurer, who is there for families with all their questions surrounding birth and the first years of life. Her role includes mediating to counseling centres, organising household help, answering questions about daycare centre selection, and guiding families in need to appropriate offers.
Martina Maurer is a familiar face in the city's delivery clinics, providing support to parents with newborns and answering questions about various topics related to birth and the first years of life. She even visits parents with newborns directly on the ward in the Evangelical Hospital and Vinzenz-Pallotti-Hospital.
Irene RĂŒttenauer, the network coordinator for "Early Support", ensures that offers are bundled and made known throughout the city. Her efforts are focused on increasing awareness of the program, organising network meetings, campaigns for breastfeeding and changing facilities, and a single parents' cafĂ© in a daycare center.
RĂŒttenauer emphasises the importance of early intervention and prevention, stating that "Early support is early in age and early in prevention." She finds success in moments like network meetings and receiving handmade pictures from the single parents' cafĂ© as a thank you for her work.
Both Martina Maurer and Irene RĂŒttenauer express a deep passion for their work and a conviction that they are making a difference. The Baby Lotus position in the city's delivery clinics, mainly funded by grant funds from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, is a testament to their dedication.
The "Early Support" program includes a wide network of clinics, counseling centres, and home visits. All information and offers from Early Support can be found on the city's website and in the family information portal, including contact addresses for advice and support.
A notice about the "Early Support" program has been published by the city of Bergisch Gladbach, ensuring that families in need are aware of the support available to them during a sensitive phase of life. The program aims to relieve and strengthen families, and both Martina Maurer and Irene RĂŒttenauer are committed to achieving this goal.
Many families have expressed their gratitude for the support they have received, with some stating that they wouldn't have known how to manage without the help of Martina Maurer. The success of the "Early Support" program is evident in the positive impact it has on the lives of families in Bergisch Gladbach.
