Many parents are willing to take children from orphanages or from difficult social backgrounds into their families and provide them with a loving upbringing. In most cases, however, it fails because of insufficient or unaffordable housing. The state simply lacks the necessary means to catch such extremely disadvantaged children. Very often these children vegetate in state institutions. The foundation therefore sees it as its primary task to build and support children's homes. Thus, we have developed a project that is adapted to local conditions and can be realized optimally within the existing possibilities.
Parents can take in and raise up to twelve foster children in a children's house. The establishment of such a house is left neither to the state nor to private individuals. It is built in principle only in cooperation with appropriate local non-profit associations, foundations or church institutions, so that a not purposeful use is excluded. After completion, the children's house is then left to the respective operator for a specific purpose.
The foster parents are selected and trained in cooperation with the local authorities. To ensure that the family is materially independent, the foundation often builds them a mini-farm, because government support is usually insufficient. In this way, the children learn to grow fruit and vegetables in the garden and greenhouse, and to take responsibility for chickens, rabbits or other animals.
To give them better job opportunities in the future, they are also offered lessons in foreign languages. During the vacations and sometimes outside the vacation periods, the children (partly with their foster parents) spend time in the recreation and leisure centers, where they get to know other children, make new friends and benefit from each other. This time is also used intensively to make life worth living for the children who are disadvantaged in life - under professional care.
The parents are offered seminars to help them fulfill their duties as foster parents as effectively as possible. By exchanging experiences with other parents and in discussions with professionals, they learn a lot of valuable help.
