Navigation endeavors centered around the lighthouse

In the heart of Detmold, a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, a series of significant visits have taken place, showcasing the town's exemplary model for families, youth, and children.

The visits focused on two key projects: Family.Info.Treff F.I.T. and the child protection project K.I.D.S. The former, planned for expansion next to Bildungs.Info.Treff B.I.T., a resource centre for young people, aims to centralise queries and provide feedback when immediate clarification is not possible. B.I.T. offers answers to questions about school, career orientation, and city participation for young people.

K.I.D.S., a child protection house, acts as a deceleration in the difficult process of taking children into care and other youth welfare measures. It provides a child-friendly environment where children can be cared for close to their familiar environment until their further accommodation or return to their family is permanently clarified. The project, which is used around 100 times a year by the child protection team, has been a model for the state, offering emergency care for children in up to ten days.

Children and young people are comprehensively and calmly involved in their own wishes and needs at K.I.D.S. and other projects in Detmold. This approach helps youth welfare specialists get to know children and their families better, aiding in finding the right help for the child.

State Secretary Lorenz Bahr (Greens) and Mayor Frank Hilker were among the dignitaries who visited Detmold to examine these lighthouse projects. Bahr praised the youth welfare experts and the mayor for continuing on this path and wants to promote a dialogue between the levels of youth welfare about innovative solutions.

Jennifer Sonneborn, head of the department for youth, school, and sports, stated that funds in Detmold are used to explore new ways and make successful projects permanent. The Minister for Family, Karin Prien, who agreed in the summer to visit Detmold's model for families, youth, and children, also expressed her admiration for the innovative approach.

However, not all projects are without challenges. The "Parents' Opportunities" project, which provides low-threshold support and advice to parents at two schools, has been successful but faces funding issues at the state or federal level.

Despite these challenges, Detmold's model continues to inspire and pave the way for innovative solutions in family and child welfare services.