#internationalfamilyday – a family for every child!

Since 1994, the International Day of the Family has taken place every year on 15 May as an official United Nations Day of Remembrance. It is intended to raise awareness of the importance of families in society and to promote family development. Family is not only understood to mean the family of origin consisting of parent and children, but also other forms such as extended families and patchwork families. 

This year's International Family Day theme refers to the role of digital technologies and their impact on the well-being of families. With the outbreak of the pandemic, digital media have become even more prevalent and important: without the knowledge of digital tools and their use, which requires owning a computer, it is almost impossible to participate in classes during the lockdowns. Access to the internet and sufficient living space also make home office and home schooling compatible. 

In everyday life and in living together, families are currently particularly challenged. They need our support, understanding and solidarity.

At CONCORDIA, we see it as our mission to ensure that children have a safe home and, in the best case, can grow up with their families of origin. With our support services, we strengthen families affected by poverty, who are confronted with multiple burdens. A holistic approach helps to assess which form of support parents and caregivers with multiple problems need, so that the children can grow up with them and a separation of the children from their biological parents is thus prevented. Our mobile teams work with parents and help them solve their problems, while their children receive a hot meal and the help they need to go to school in our day centres.

Children who, for various reasons, cannot live with their families of origin are given support and security in our family-like residential groups. In this setting, too, we try to ensure that children can maintain contact with their families. Sometimes reintegration into the family of origin is possible at a later stage.

Children who need special protection and for whom reintegration into the family of origin is out of the question find a new home in a CONCORDIA foster family for the long term. The foster parents are carefully selected by CONCORDIA and undergo a thorough training. This ensures that they are able to care for their foster children in the best possible way and give them a loving home.

In 2020, CONCORDIA gave 358 children and adolescents and 501 young adults a safe home, security and support. 40 children were reintegrated into their families of origin.