The introduction of this concept is a response to various legal provisions, such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Children and Youth Strengthening Act (KJSG) and the German Social Code (SGB) VIII, which regulate the right to inclusion and equal access to childcare services. The concept aims to ensure participation for all children, regardless of gender, social factors or special needs.
"The decisive factor for the current need for action, however, is that the current framework conditions do not offer any incentives for day carers to take in a child with special needs," says Anja Beckmann, Head of the Children, Youth and Family department. This needs to change.
Individual care and networking
Every child develops at their own pace, says Beckmann. The support concept provides for the individual support needs of a child to be determined together with parents, day carers, the Competence Center for Child Day Care and medical professionals. If there is a greater need for support, specialist agencies such as early intervention centers or social-pediatric centers are consulted. The specialist advice provided by the Competence Center for Child Day Care plays a central role in networking and coordinating the processes.
The aim of the concept is to strengthen inclusion in child day care without parents having to justify their child's special needs themselves. This task is taken over by the specialist advisory service, which makes things considerably easier and simplifies administration, explained Beckmann.
Advantages for everyone involved
"In this early phase of a child's development, it is often difficult to clearly diagnose the causes of abnormalities. Our concept relieves parents of the burden of presenting these reasons themselves. The specialist service at the competence center ensures that the procedures run smoothly," said the head of department. The concept also brings benefits for daycare staff and the center's own specialist staff by easing the burden of bureaucratic processes. "We are convinced that this concept creates real added value for everyone involved, especially for children with special needs," Beckmann concluded her presentation.The next step is to present the concept to the district council.
