SucheNational Centre for Early Prevention (NZFH)
National Centre for Early Prevention (NZFH)
Early childhood intervention supports families from pregnancy up to the age of three. The National Centre for Early Prevention (NZFH) supports professionals and institutions in developing needs-based services, especially for families in difficult circumstances. Parents and children should be supported early on so that children can grow up healthy and safe.
The National Centre for Early Prevention (NZFH) aims to improve the development opportunities of children and their parents as early and as sustainably as possible. The interconnectedness of services from the health care system, child and youth welfare services and other relevant actors in early childhood intervention, such as pregnancy counselling centres and early support, is of central importance.
The NZFH was established in 2007 by the Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMBFSFJ). It is operated by the Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG) in collaboration with the German Youth Institute (DJI). Since then, the BMBFSFJ has been supporting the NZFH as a central knowledge platform for early childhood intervention.
Based on a resolution by Minister-Presidents, the NZFH has been working on ‘Learning from problematic child protection histories’ since 2008 and is implementing this as ‘Quality development in child protection’.
Between 2012 and 2017, the NZFH also acted as the federal coordinating office in the Federal Initiative for Early Childhood Intervention. Since 2018 the NZFH has been supporting the Federal Foundation for Early Childhood Intervention.
The NZFH is supported by a broadly diverse advisory committee. It advises the Federal Foundation for early childhood intervention and the National Centre for Early Prevention (NZFH). More than 40 members represent relevant disciplines, institutions and associations, as well as federal states and municipalities.
What the NZFH does
The Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMBFSFJ) has assigned the NZFH core tasks that are continuously being developed:
- Research: Gathering findings on early childhood intervention and applying them in a practical manner
- Quality development: Strengthening practice, jointly developing and ensuring quality
- Communication: Providing expert information, raising public awareness and raising the visibility of early childhood intervention
- Collaboration: Networking expertise from academia, practical experience and civil society, as well as stakeholders at all state levels
- Quality development in child protection: Learning from case studies, further developing processes and supporting professionals
The NZFH implements these tasks within the Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG) in a department with four specialist areas: Task Planning and National Collaboration, Research, Communication and Quality Development.
Internet Offers
The www.fruehehilfen.de website is primarily aimed at early childhood intervention professionals from academia and practice, but also at decision-makers at all federal levels (federal, state and local) and anyone interested in early childhood intervention matters. It offers:
- Comprehensive specialist information, tailored to specific target groups and topics
- Work aids and materials
- Results from research and practice
- Access to the digital early childhood intervention learning platform with continuing development opportunities for professionals
- Conference documentation, news and event information
- News headlines on NZFH activities and updates in early childhood intervention via email subscription
The findings and materials are provided through a plethora of publications – available for download, to order or to read online.
The early childhood intervention learning platform offers self-paced online courses for early childhood intervention professionals. The service is free of charge.
The www.elternsein.info website provides information for parents, expectant mothers and fathers, and other caregivers on topics such as:
- Early childhood intervention services
- Early childhood crying and the dangers of shaking babies
- Day-to-day life with a child
Parents and caregivers can find early childhood intervention services and infant crying consultation services near them using two postcode searches.
