The symposium was opened by Christos Vavouras, Head of the Department of Labor, Youth and Social Affairs. He paid tribute to the great commitment of the professionals in the district: "Early help lives from what you do every day: in doctors' surgeries, maternity wards, during home visits, in advice centers, family centers and at public authorities. Whether as midwives, paediatricians, social pedagogues, welcome visitors or volunteers - you all help to ensure that families with young children are well accompanied and supported - especially when life presents them with special challenges."
The focus of the event was the specialist presentation by Heide Möller-Slawinski from the Sinus Institute in Heidelberg, who provided insights into the living environments of different social milieus. Using the latest results of the Sinus-Milieu study, she shed light on how parents from different life contexts think, what motivates them and how they feel about support services. The aim was to use these findings to provide concrete impetus for the further development of early help services in the district - with a particular focus on access routes and a tailored approach.
Expert exchange at the information stands of the network forum
In the afternoon, the network forum offered space for professional exchange at information stands from institutions such as Wellcome, Pro Familia, the Early Help Center, the welcome visits, the state program Strength and the specialist center for single parents.
An interactive part of the event followed with the World Café, where participants discussed various key topics.
Expert input, networking and new ideas
The symposium not only offered well-founded professional input, but above all space for collegial networking, reflection and joint further thinking. The approximately 85 participants from the fields of medicine, education, social work and other areas of early intervention showed great interest in the content and actively participated in discussions.
The organizers drew a consistently positive conclusion: "Our aim was to better understand the realities of life, provide targeted support and work together on an effective service structure. The symposium showed how valuable interdisciplinary exchange is for this," said coordinator Tamara Drittenpreis from the Children, Youth and Family Department of the district administration.
The event was certified as further training by the Baden-Württemberg Medical Association and the Baden-Württemberg Midwives' Association. Participation was free of charge.
The Early Help Symposium is an integral part of the Early Help Network in the district of Ludwigsburg. It takes place every two years and provides impetus for practice, promotes interdisciplinary cooperation and strengthens the dialog between professionals.
