Early aids
What is early help?
Early help is all the counseling, support and assistance services that are available to families from the beginning of pregnancy until the child reaches the age of 3 (0 - 3 years) and serve to improve the developmental opportunities of children.
Early support includes health promotion services such as examinations by the pediatrician, courses for babies or breastfeeding groups, the baby visiting service, as well as care and support services for children and parents.
Early support also includes services for families in small and large problem situations, such as visiting and making use of counseling centers, family support, support and development centers or the general social services of the city of Wolfsburg.
All in all, Wolfsburg offers a wide range of counseling, support and assistance services for women and families during pregnancy or in the first years of a child's life.
All of this is bundled in the Early Intervention Network, which also includes the municipal services listed below.
Good work in the field of early prevention requires various professionals who work hand in hand with each other, know about each other, complement each other and learn from and with each other.
The three-minute short film by the National Center for Early Help (NZFH) clearly explains what early help is and how pregnant women and families with support needs can receive the services.
It is aimed not only at parents but also at professionals who accompany and advise mothers and fathers. The film and a search for early prevention services are available at the following link (source: NZFH/BZgA 2019).
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News
Early Help Newsletter
The "Frühe Hilfen" newsletter provides regular updates on the latest developments in the field of early prevention.
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Early Help Network
The services for women and families during pregnancy and for children up to the age of 3 that exist in the city of Wolfsburg are bundled and networked in the Early Intervention Network. The goal of the network is to ensure that all early support services work well together, that services are available that are needed and that function well.
The Early Intervention Network is multi-professional, which means that different professional groups work together. Personnel from pregnancy counseling, health care, early intervention, child and youth services, day care centers and family centers, volunteers and other social services work together.
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Early help network meeting
The Early Help Network Meeting is an information format for early help professionals.
All network partners are invited to contribute their current information and to inform each other about innovations and exchange ideas.
Are there new colleagues or a new service? Are there any changes in the field of work or a great example of best practice?
The event is open and deliberately low-threshold. Registration is not required. Simply join in and listen or pass on information.
The event will take place once a month. Alternating mornings and afternoons.
Dates 2025:
Tuesday, 09.09.2025, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Wednesday, 08.10.2025, 15:00 to 16:00
Tuesday, 11.11.2025, 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Wednesday, 10.12.2025, 15:00 to 16:00
The access link can be found in the file or can be requested by e-mail at fruehe-hilfen@stadt.wolfsburg,de
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Family support
The city of Wolfsburg supports families during pregnancy or after the birth of the baby by offering family support.
Family support is an important building block in the early help network. It is aimed at all expectant and new mothers and parents who want support or need it for a variety of reasons. However, it is not necessary to have a complex problem situation to be able to make use of family support.
For the offer pediatric nurses, nurses and midwives with individual training work. They advise, support and accompany families with a lot of commitment and competence in their homes with questions, uncertainties and worries regarding the baby and the associated life situation.
Specific topics are:- Care, nursing and feeding of your child
- Handling / dealing with your child
- Building a positive parent-child relationship
- Everyday life / daily structure
- Promotion of the development of your child
- Restlessness, crying, sleep
- Premature birth or health restrictions with your child
- Psychological and health stress of one or both parents
- Multiple birth
- Single parent, minor with child
- Difficult and stressful life situation with child
Family support is a help for self-help. It is individually oriented to the needs of the family. The contents and goals are worked out and determined together.
Support can begin during pregnancy and usually ends around the child's first birthday. If necessary, family support can also be provided beyond that time. The support is limited to 8.6 hours (in exceptional cases 12 hours) per month, which corresponds to one contact per week.
It is not necessary to apply for family support, only to contact us to coordinate family support.
Family support is voluntary. The offer is free of charge for the mothers / parents. The costs of family support are covered by the city of Wolfsburg.
If you feel addressed or if you have any questions about the offer of family support, the coordination of family support is at your disposal.-
Contact
Nicolle Langer
Coordination Family Support
Braunschweiger Street 12
38440 Wolfsburg
Mobile: 0151 - 72 10 93 87
E-mail: nicolle.langer@stadt.wolfsburg.de
Family counselors
Cindy Christiansen
Pediatric nurseHeidemarie Geffers
Pediatric nurse
Anne Landmann
Nurse, qualification as a family, health and pediatric nurse
Ina Metheit
Pediatric nurse
Sylvia Reiter
Nurse, qualification as a family, health and pediatric nurse
Gabriele Schiefelbein
Pediatric nurse
Ulrike Griese
Midwife, qualification as a family midwife
Carola Jäger
Midwife, qualification as a family midwife
Stefanie Leitzke
Qualification as a family health and pediatric nurseBritta Burgdorf
Qualification of a family health and pediatric nurse
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Baby Visiting Service
Families living in Wolfsburg who have a baby are contacted by the Baby Visiting Service within the first 8 to 12 weeks of the child's life to offer them a counseling service.
The Baby Visiting Service welcomes the newborn to Wolfsburg and informs parents about existing services for families in the city.
Families receive- Information about the baby's first year of life.
- Information on counseling and support services as well as relief options.
- Information about kindergartens, day nurseries, child minders.
- Information about leisure activities, exchange with like-minded people and much more.
- ... a small welcome gift for your child.
The offer is voluntary and free of charge. Families decide for themselves whether they want a baby visit at their home.
Due to the current incidence of infections, care is taken to protect each other's health through appropriate hygiene and protective measures. The appointment can also take place on the premises of the baby visit service, by telephone or by video conference.-
Contact
Rosemarie Springer
Phone: 0151 72 60 59 63
E-Mail: rosemarie.springer@stadt.wolfsburg.de
Jasmin MeyerPhone: 0170 6958974
E-Mail: jasmin.meyer2@stadt.wolfsburg.de
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Wolles Info Café
WOLLES INFO CAFÉ offers pregnant women and new parents many answers to questions about pregnancy and the new life situation with the baby as well as the opportunity to exchange ideas and make contacts.
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Parenting School
The Parents' School at the Wolfsburg City Hospital is part of the Youth Division and a cooperation partner of the Adult Education Center.
The staff are the contact persons for questions relating to birth preparation and the first year of life with the baby. This includes style advice, open breastfeeding groups, breastfeeding preparation, Baby ABC, birth preparation courses, midwife consultations and postnatal courses.-
Courses offered by the Parents' School:
Courses offered on the website of the adult education center in the Bildungshaus Wolfsburg (vhs-wolfsburg.de)
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The services of the midwife outpatient clinic:
The midwives provide outpatient midwifery care at the clinic, which includes preventive and follow-up care during pregnancy as well as pregnancy counseling.
The service is aimed at all women/families who are not yet accompanied by a midwife.
Anyone interested can contact the Parents' School to make an appointment.
- Advice on questions during pregnancy
- Postpartum counseling for women who have not found a midwife for home care
- Pre-natal acupuncture and acupuncture for complaints
- Taping
- Registration for birth in the delivery room
- Instructions for breast milk collection during pregnancy for women with diabetes during pregnancy
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The services of the breastfeeding consultants:
- Style consultation on the maternity ward and in the pediatric clinic
- Outpatient style advice (appointments after discharge from hospital)
- Breastfeeding advice for acute breastfeeding difficulties
- Advice on natural weaning if you wish to wean
- Advice on difficulties with the introduction of complementary foods
- Laser therapy
- Breastfeeding hotline
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Contact
Parents' school: 05361 - 80 1055
Breastfeeding advice: 05361 - 80 3839
Breastfeeding hotline: 0160 - 22 28 72 3 (Mon. - Fri. 07:00 - 14:00)E-mail: elternschule@klinikum.wolfsburg.de
Team:
Sylvia Meier (midwife)
Katja Kolbig (pediatric nurse, lactation consultant, IBCLC)
Birgit Grimm (nurse, breastfeeding counselor)
Esther Herterich (midwife, head of the breastfeeding group)
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Courses offered by the Parents' School:
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Links and information material
Letters for parents
The letters for parents contain a variety of useful assistance and practical tips for mothers and fathers in the first years of their child's life. Some of the offers are free of charge, others are subject to a charge. Under the link you have access to all letters for parents according to the age of your child. Further information can be found on the individual websites.
If you have any questions about the letters for parents, please contact Ms. Britta Kempf by phone or e-mail Britta.kempf@stadt.wolfsburg.de, 05361 - 28 2609
Helpline for pregnant women in need
Pregnant and the world is upside down?
No matter what questions or fears you have: you will receive help. Anonymously and safely. Experienced advisors are there for you around the clock on the helpline. Free of charge, barrier-free, multilingual. You can also find out more about help services in your area here.
Help hotline "Pregnant women in need": 0800 40 40 020
Sexual and reproductive health information in 13 languages
Zanzu provides information on sexual and reproductive health in 13 languages (spoken and written) in a simple and clear way, facilitating communication on these topics, e.g. in the context of a counseling session.
Wolfsburg Family Portal
The Wolfsburg family portal guides people with children through the various topics in the city of Wolfsburg relating to family, housing, pregnancy and birth, childcare, education and partnership, compatibility of family and work, migration, health, culture, sports, leisure, counseling and support services.
Wolfsburg Family Blog
The Wolfsburg family blog offers current information for families in Wolfsburg.
This includes questions about the financial situation of families, counseling services and assistance in problem situations. In addition, the blog also informs about the current situation in the KiTas and schools around and Corona and provides links to everyday life in the family.
Family Portal of the Federal Government
The family portal of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth provides information and calculators on state family benefits as well as on the different living situations of families.
Counseling services for parents
The Internet portal of the National Center for Early Help (NZFH) provides information about help and counseling for pregnant women and parents with children up to age 3. Families can find information on early help, counseling services, and baby crying.
Materials for addressing parents
The National Center for Early Intervention (NZFH) offers the federal states and local authorities a comprehensive package of measures with materials to address parents and support local public relations work.
The materials inform parents about the "Nummer gegen Kummer" parents' hotline and the online advice service of the Bundeskonferenz für Erziehungsberatung e.V. (Federal Conference for Educational Counseling) as access points to regional early help services. These actors provide initial advice and can refer families with a need directly to the appropriate regional services.
The materials help to address parents directly, raise awareness of early help services and deepen or further expand networking.
The materials are available in large quantities in Wolfsburg.
Contact
Birte Neitzel
E-mail: birte.neitzel@stadt.wolfsburg.de
Together with the "Bündnis gegen Schütteltrauma" (Alliance against Shaking Trauma), the National Center for Early Intervention, on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, provides information about the dangers of shaking infants and young children.
The materials provide parents (and professionals) with specific information on what to do in an overload situation.
The parents' hotline of Nummer gegen Kummer e.V. (0800 - 111 0 550) and the online counseling service can directly refer parents to information, counseling and support services in Wolfsburg. -
Federal Foundation for Early Assistance
The Federal Early Help Foundation provides long-term funding for early help networks and ensures support for families with infants and young children. It thus continues the successful work of the Federal Early Help Initiative.
All children have the right to grow up healthy and free of violence. The first months and years of life are also of outstanding importance for the entire further development of the child. Therefore, it is especially important to support (expectant) parents during this time.To achieve this goal, the legislature has stipulated in Section 3 (4) of the Child Protection Cooperation and Information Act (KKG) that the federal government establish a permanent fund to ensure early help networks and psychosocial support for families. The fund will be implemented by means of the Federal Early Help Foundation. The administrative agreement has been signed by the federal and state governments. Legal principles are governed by the statutes.
Since January 1, 2018, the Federal Foundation for Early Support has ensured that the structures and services that were established through the federal initiative and have proven their worth can continue to exist. In particular, offers of psychosocial support for families with children up to the age of three are to be further expanded. Details on the implementation of the Early Intervention Fund are described in the administrative agreement and the performance guidelines.
The federal foundation is guided by the Early Intervention Guiding Principles developed by the National Center for Early Intervention (NZFH) and its advisory board. According to this, early assistance builds on resources and creates low-threshold access for families under psychosocial stress.
The quality criteria and scientific findings developed by the federal, state and local governments as part of the Federal Early Help Initiative, especially those obtained through the accompanying research of the NZFH, also form the basis for quality development and innovation in the Federal Early Help Foundation.
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Contact
City of Wolfsburg
Youth Division, Counseling Department
Coordination of early help
Birte Neitzel
Braunschweiger Street 12
38440 WolfsburgPhone: 0151 54 64 81 07
E-mail: birte.neitzel@stadt.wolfsburg.de