Chemnitzer: 25 years as a foster mother - love without blood relatives!

Chemnitzer: 25 years as a foster mother - love without blood relatives!

Chemnitz, Deutschland - In the past few decades, the life of many children in Germany has changed fundamentally. Chemnitzer Barbara Schönfeld tells a particularly inspiring story, who has been there as a foster mother for almost 60 foreign children since 1998. "She is my child, even if I haven't born her," she says herself about her protégés, who often came to her with difficult life stories. Barbara Schönfeld in particular took up children of families who were unable to take care of their own descendants and thus give these children a new chance.

Often it is tragic circumstances that lead to children away from their biological parents. An impressive example is the story of an eight -year -old girl who struggled with the typical childhood rebel: she wanted to smoke, drink beer and escape school attendance. Due to the loving and at the same time clear education of Schönfeld, many of these children were able to find their way back on the right path. By 2023 she lived with the children around the clock and created a home in which they could feel safe.

children with a migration background in early childhood education

A particularly important aspect of today's society is the situation of children with a migration background. In 2022, 21 percent of children visited families in daycare facilities, in which a different language was mostly spoken than German. This proportion has increased continuously in the past ten years. In West Germany almost every fourth daycare child (24%) speaks a different language at home; In East Germany it is still every twelfth child (12%) BildungsServer.de .

The challenges for early education specialists are great: they have to take into account the cultural heterogeneity in the daycare centers and continue to train in intercultural pedagogy. Studies show that children with a migration background represent a heterogeneous group. Their differences in socio -economic status, educational qualifications and language skills must be taken into account in early education. Initiatives that respond to these aspects are essential to create equal opportunities and make an effective contribution to integration.

The role of further training and research

The necessity and the value of further training in early childhood education are undisputed. Specialists should have the opportunity to find out and exchange information about intercultural approaches. The Specialist Pedagogy offers useful resources. Here you can search for literature that deals with topics such as the promotion of children with a migration background and provides important impulses for practice. Publications, such as those of Schmidt to promote these children, provide valuable knowledge and assistance for working in daycare centers.