Brandenburg's children in focus: New help for those affected by addiction families!

Brandenburg's children in focus: New help for those affected by addiction families!

In Brandenburg, new initiatives are in the starting blocks that aim to give children from families suffering from addiction and psychological problems a better future. Three pilot municipalities are working on overall concepts that are intended to create coordinated structures - with a budget of around 750,000 euros, funded by the Auridis Foundation until the end of 2028. These programs also benefit from the support of the GKV Alliance for Health and the Brandenburg Ministry of Health. Health Minister Britta Müller is placing a clear focus on the health of children who have to grow up in such stressful conditions and require special support. As Meetingpoint Potsdam reports, Daniela Teichert from the GKV alliance sees networking as the key to prevention, while Marc von Krosigk from the Auridis Foundation assigns a central role to strong local networks. Andrea Hardeling from the State Office for Addiction Issues adds that strengthening professional expertise and municipal cooperation represents a solid basis for sustainable help.

What does this mean specifically for the families affected? The projects aim to recognize the diverse needs of children and support them through adapted offers. In addition to individual support, it is crucial that the offers are also integrated into municipal structures and thus support the everyday life of families. All information about these projects can be found on the website of the Brandenburg State Office for Addiction Issues: [www.selbstdetermin-brandenburg.de].

Prevention chains as a model for success

Another important issue that cannot be ignored is child poverty. In the opinion of Christoph Gilles, moderator and consultant for concept development, this represents a major problem. Child poverty affects the chances of growing up healthy and endangers social peace. Fundamental political decisions are needed to provide financial support to families. Gilles calls, among other things, for basic child support and an adequate minimum wage. Through a broader range of offerings in the municipalities, children and young people can be better supported, as Preventionsketten Hessen notes. These offerings should include education, culture, sport and leisure and should always be tailored to needs.

In this context, community prevention chains are a proven instrument for providing structural help and combating the negative effects of poverty at an early stage. As in the report of the ISS Frankfurt a. M. can be read, the institution has been involved in research on child and youth poverty for over 15 years. The monitoring and evaluation of prevention chains in municipalities such as Monheim am Rhein and Weiterstadt shows that sustainable networking between different actors is necessary to improve the quality of life for disadvantaged families. Almost every fifth child in Germany grows up in poverty, which underlines the need for such projects, as ISS Frankfurt reports.

In conclusion, it can be said that there is now a lot of movement in efforts to strengthen children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The interaction of funding and a networked approach to prevention could have a long-term positive impact on the living situation of many children and their families.