Aid for families: Styrian Caritas starts a new advisory project

Aid for families: Styrian Caritas starts a new advisory project

Graz, Österreich - In Styria, an innovative pilot project is created that should offer parents support on social issues at an early stage. Caritas director Nora Tödtling-Musenbichler said that social workers have been active at 19 locations in Graz since November to advise parents of over 1,000 kindergarten children free of charge and anonymously. Around 370 consultations have already been held in the first three months. The program, which is known as KISA (social work kindergarten), aims to create a contact point before problems arise. "We want to offer early help," emphasized Tödtling-Musenbichler, who sees the project as a significant instrument in the educational landscape in order to promote poverty and educational justice, as well as meinbezirk.at reported.

reactions of parents and specialist staff

The project has experienced a positive response; Both parents and pedagogical staff are grateful for the offer. Gerlinde Landauf-Stöger, a team of social workers, reported that topics such as educational issues or psychological stress were often discussed. The social workers are not only advisable to advise, but also organize workshops and parent cafes to promote exchange. This relieves the educators in kindergarten, who often do not have the necessary time for intensive parents. According to Friedrich Mayer, head of Caritas' school and kindergarten social work, the project should close a gap in the system between early help and school social work.

Caritas Styria has also recorded an increase in inquiries: Due to the current economic situation, thousands of people need more help, which the director Tödtling-Musenbichler described as alarming. "We found a 30 percent increase in initial interviews in our advice centers for securing livelihood," she explained. In view of these challenges, Caritas not only sees itself as a supporter, but also as a lawyer for the concerns of people in society, and speaks out for targeted measures in politics to help the particularly affected families.