Sponsorships in Thuringia: Opening up a life path for children in care!

Sponsorships in Thuringia: Opening up a life path for children in care!

An exciting initiative is being launched in Thuringia that takes care of the needs of children in care homes. Around 3,500 children in Thuringian institutions often live without a permanent contact person, which leads to a significant deficit in their emotional development. The Jena initiative “Path into Life” wants to change this with an innovative sponsorship program. Volunteer sponsors are here to support young people and help them build a stable foundation for their future. Like the website of MDR reports, emotional support is extremely important for these children.

The words of Carolina Rosenauer, who herself lived in a children's home, illustrate the problem: "There is a lack of stable relationships." When you look at the Germany-wide statistics for 2023, it becomes clear how large the scale is: around 128,000 young people lived in homes and residential groups, while an additional 87,000 were housed in foster families. This means that around 215,000 children and young people temporarily grow up outside their families of origin. The average duration of care in such facilities is around two and a half years. This is particularly true in Thuringia, as skilled workers are under a lot of strain and frequent team changes make it difficult for children to build stable relationships.

Sponsorships as a key to stability

The “Path into Life” initiative relies on the introduction of sponsorships in order to meet these challenges. Social worker Tsitsi Wagner emphasizes that godparents can play a crucial role in closing emotional gaps and rebuilding children's trust. Through thorough preparation and the presentation of an extended certificate of good conduct, the initiative ensures that the sponsors are well equipped for their task.

Personal encounters and long-term relationships are a central component of the sponsorship program. Those too Education Foundation supports such sponsorship opportunities and promotes dialogue and exchange between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their sponsors. The focus here is on integration and reducing prejudices. Networking in schools, daycare centers or families is ideal in order to promote creativity and organize joint activities, be it through cultural, sporting or social projects.

Social disadvantage in home education

The situation in the homes is not just a question of personal success, but also reflects social inequalities. The data shows that many of the young people living in care come from financially precarious family backgrounds. Almost half come from families that rely on transfer payments. Loud yuck Home education has the task of combating child poverty and compensating for social disadvantage. It is a task that not only supports the children, but also makes a social contribution to curbing discrimination.

The challenges are diverse. Professionals in home education are often overwhelmed and the constant rotation among the educational teams makes it difficult for the children to build bonds. In order to improve this, the IGFH calls for better cooperation between schools and child and youth welfare services as well as the promotion of joint projects to make the transition from school and training easier.

The Path to Life initiative and similar programs offer a promising response to these challenges. The sponsors can become real companions for the children and help them find a stable place in life—and perhaps even learn that a positive life can emerge even from difficult circumstances.