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NewsletterThe projects of Deutsche Kinderhilfe
The Deutsche Kinderhilfe supports other institutions, organizations, and voluntary activities, becoming involved directly only if there was no other option. This saves administrative costs, while letting us combine available expertise ideally. We find sponsors for specific projects and publicize the activities of small societies and organizations.
The board interacts with its council of experts to jointly rule on the disbursement of funds, thus ensuring that we provide these only for truly therapeutic tasks that make sense. Since we are independent, we consciously forego government funding and instead concentrate only on donations from our citizens. All the money goes directly to benefit sick and disadvantaged children.
Learn more about our projects:
The board interacts with its council of experts to jointly rule on the disbursement of funds, thus ensuring that we provide these only for truly therapeutic tasks that make sense. Since we are independent, we consciously forego government funding and instead concentrate only on donations from our citizens. All the money goes directly to benefit sick and disadvantaged children.
Learn more about our projects:
Frühförderprogramm (Preemie Program) – aid for families with prematurely born infants or sick newborns
In Germany, about 50,000 babies are born prematurely each year, which makes them the country’s largest single group of minors as patients. Medicine has made great strides in the care and survival of even the tiniest preemies over the last two decades. Yet, the affected parents are typically overwhelmed by the extraordinarily stressful situation marked by fear, guilt, and helplessness.
This is where our DKH preemie program in the year 2000 lends a helping hand to families with premature babies and sick newborns. The program defines the standards for care, now pursued by professional parental advisors working at the neonatology wards of university clinics in Leipzig, Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and Dresden.
Long-term prevention is the goal of such psychological care, since studies have demonstrated that problems with bonding disorders arise more often with preemies than with full-term babies. Such disorders are the prime cause of subsequent maltreatment of children.
DKH's preemie program addresses this problem right in the bud by providing immediate support in the ward. Naturally, help for families that do not belong to this risk group is also important – because a child’s development depends significantly upon a functioning and healthy parent-child bond. Our aim is to establish this program across all major perinatal centers in the country.
e accept no government funds for this project, which runs thanks to our generous donors and sponsors. Our preemie program has won many awards as an excellent example of corporate citizenship. It was designated the “Ort im Land der Ideen 2007” (A Place in the Land of Ideas 2007), under the patronage of the current initiative “Germany – the Land of Ideas” by the German President, Horst Köhler. The Secretary of Health, Ulla Schmidt, particularly honored our program by highlighting it as a role model during a press conference at the Berlin Charité in December 2006.
This is where our DKH preemie program in the year 2000 lends a helping hand to families with premature babies and sick newborns. The program defines the standards for care, now pursued by professional parental advisors working at the neonatology wards of university clinics in Leipzig, Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and Dresden.
Long-term prevention is the goal of such psychological care, since studies have demonstrated that problems with bonding disorders arise more often with preemies than with full-term babies. Such disorders are the prime cause of subsequent maltreatment of children.
DKH's preemie program addresses this problem right in the bud by providing immediate support in the ward. Naturally, help for families that do not belong to this risk group is also important – because a child’s development depends significantly upon a functioning and healthy parent-child bond. Our aim is to establish this program across all major perinatal centers in the country.
e accept no government funds for this project, which runs thanks to our generous donors and sponsors. Our preemie program has won many awards as an excellent example of corporate citizenship. It was designated the “Ort im Land der Ideen 2007” (A Place in the Land of Ideas 2007), under the patronage of the current initiative “Germany – the Land of Ideas” by the German President, Horst Köhler. The Secretary of Health, Ulla Schmidt, particularly honored our program by highlighting it as a role model during a press conference at the Berlin Charité in December 2006.
BabyHörtest (Newborn Hearing Test)
Our BabyHörtest project (hearing for children) has cooperated for years with our partner Aktion Frühkindliches Hören to introduce a screening program to test the hearing of babies in Germany. And we did it with a bang: the joint federal committee of physicians and health insurers announced on June 20, 2008 that as of January 1, 2009 a hearing test for newborns will be part of the scope of services covered by state health insurers.
This resolution by the joint committee is also the outcome of our unswerving effort to inform decision makers in healthcare and the public about this unnecessary and easy to close gap. Now, we intend to focus on making sure that one does not just stop with a hearing test. Instead, we must create the legislative framework and standards of quality that ensure proper follow-ups with diagnostics, treatment, and early support.
It is evident that an affected child’s hearing and speech will be normal, only if the disorder is diagnosed early and treated effectively. This is the only way to provide inner harmony for such a child and give it the chance at a normal life and schooling
Roughly 1,000 new babies are born annually with hearing disorders, which makes hearing impairment as the most common congenital handicap of the senses. Screening a baby’s hearing in the early postnatal days is a simple and painless method to preclude a serious hearing disorder or for taking necessary steps to address the problem immediately. The fact is – hearing can be taught, and hearing right from the beginning is critical for a child’s overall development.
It is evident that an affected child’s hearing and speech will be normal, only if the disorder is diagnosed early and treated effectively. This is the only way to provide inner harmony for such a child and give it the chance at a normal life and schooling
Roughly 1,000 new babies are born annually with hearing disorders, which makes hearing impairment as the most common congenital handicap of the senses. Screening a baby’s hearing in the early postnatal days is a simple and painless method to preclude a serious hearing disorder or for taking necessary steps to address the problem immediately. The fact is – hearing can be taught, and hearing right from the beginning is critical for a child’s overall development.
KidsKlinik (Clinic for kids – joy for little hearts!)
This is a joint project with the national Association for Renovation & Facades and the Trade Association for Tiles & Stone, both part of the National Association of Construction Trades. Since 2004, we have been steadily improving the conditions at children's clinics and facilities.
These associations provide materials and construction labor free with the help of vocational schools, training organizations, and local guilds. The outcome: eight more facilities in Germany are now children friendly. Thanks to the fund-raising drives, we were also able to buy books, toys, and furniture for these facilities.
Under our program Spielplatz Krankenhaus (Hospital playground), DHK finances renovation of facilities and hospitals to make them more children friendly, helps set up playrooms, and organizes visits by clowns to bring joy to the numerous little hearts.
These associations provide materials and construction labor free with the help of vocational schools, training organizations, and local guilds. The outcome: eight more facilities in Germany are now children friendly. Thanks to the fund-raising drives, we were also able to buy books, toys, and furniture for these facilities.
Under our program Spielplatz Krankenhaus (Hospital playground), DHK finances renovation of facilities and hospitals to make them more children friendly, helps set up playrooms, and organizes visits by clowns to bring joy to the numerous little hearts.
Therapeutisches Reiten (Riding therapy)
Therapeutic riding has proven itself over three decades. This form of therapy involving animals is especially helpful for children suffering from physical or perceptive disorders, impaired motor functions, trauma, and autism. Unfortunately, health insurers often decline to cover the costs of this worthwhile and important therapy. This is where DHK extends its hand to close the gap in our healthcare system.
We finance riding therapy programs across the country for carefully approved cases, and back groups like MEIERHOF of the Catholic Foundation Die Gute Hand in Kürten. Nine kids benefited from our support in 2008.
Between 2001 and 2004, we joined forces with the German Board of Trustees for Therapeutic Riding to finance the study " Therapeutic Work with a Horse", aimed at determining the impact of this technique on autistic children. The findings are solid academic proof of the real benefits of therapies involving animals. We have begun contributing funds as of January 1, 2009 to back the most extensive German study underway so far on the efficacy of therapeutic riding, under the stewardship of the University of Aachen. Our long-term goal is to get this therapy on the schedule of services covered by health insurers.
Between 2001 and 2004, we joined forces with the German Board of Trustees for Therapeutic Riding to finance the study " Therapeutic Work with a Horse", aimed at determining the impact of this technique on autistic children. The findings are solid academic proof of the real benefits of therapies involving animals. We have begun contributing funds as of January 1, 2009 to back the most extensive German study underway so far on the efficacy of therapeutic riding, under the stewardship of the University of Aachen. Our long-term goal is to get this therapy on the schedule of services covered by health insurers.
Emergency Fund
