Children and their families can fall through the social cracks if, for example, they lack language skills. To prevent this from happening, family companions in Osnabrück come to help. With success.
Family support worker Aishe Yilmaz sits on the sofa in the Sharifi family’s living room. She leafs through papers and forms, trying to keep track of everything: vaccination appointments for the toddler, doctor and expert appointments for the wheelchair-bound daughter, help with coping with grief for the ten-year-old son.
The family that fled Afghanistan has a variety of problems that need to be overcome and for which they depend on the support of the family companions.
Family companion Aishe Yilmaz provides support where needed.
Sudden death of father
Two years ago, shortly after fleeing Afghanistan to Germany, the father of the family died suddenly after a seemingly harmless operation. Mother Janbibi Sharifi became a single parent overnight – with three children in a foreign country, without knowing the language. She says she doesn’t have the time for the all-important German course at the moment, although she really wants to learn German as quickly as possible.
But above all, due to the medical worries about the children, the countless doctor’s appointments and the already complex everyday life, the single mother currently has other priorities, explains family support worker Aishe Yilmaz.
Home visits and daily phone calls
Yilmaz and her colleague Melanie Anker are employed by the city of Osnabrück as family companions. As a tandem, i.e. in a second team, they support the Afghan family as best they can and as often as necessary. And it is currently very often necessary, reports Yilmaz. “Janbibi Sharifi is such a strong woman, but without us she has often been lost,” says the family companion, who speaks fluent Turkish and can therefore communicate with Sharifi.
While Aishe Yilmaz struggles through the mail with the mother, her colleague looks after the family’s two youngest children. Melanie Anker is a trained pediatric nurse – and is therefore a great help with medical questions, doctor’s visits and therapy options, especially for the seven-year-old daughter, who is in a wheelchair and regularly struggles with epileptic attacks.
Melanie Anker looks after the children and helps with medical questions.
Home visits, telephone calls and Voice messages
The Sharifi family’s case is extreme, say the two family carers. In addition to regular home visits, there are daily phone calls and voice message contacts. “That’s not the norm,” says Yilmaz. But ultimately it’s about supporting each family as much as they need. And to do so in a low-threshold manner and on an equal footing. “That’s the only way we can reach these families who would otherwise fall through the cracks.”
The Osnabrück family support team currently consists of 18 employees. They are all mothers themselves, most of them have a migration background – and some of them have had similar experiences to the families they are now helping.
“The need is great”
The family support project was launched in Osnabrück more than ten years ago, at that time with a small group of freelance workers. The city of Osnabrück has now recognized the potential of the project.
It is set to be expanded further next year. Nine new full-time positions will be created for this. And from 2025 onwards, it will no longer only be families with small children up to the age of six who will be looked after, but also families with primary school children. This is a huge sign of appreciation for the family carers, says team leader Karin Hooper.
In addition to home visits, there are various other offers such as parent cafés, playgroups or visits to kindergartens. The offers are open to all families.
“The need is great, we notice that every day,” says the manager. For the newly hired staff, language skills in Albanian, Bulgarian or Dari are particularly desirable. The starting salary is around 2,800 euros gross per month.
Long way to a self-employed Life
For Janbibi Sharifi, there is still a long way to go before she can lead a completely independent life in Osnabrück, her new home. She says she is often sad and desperate. But she is still infinitely grateful for the efforts of the family companions. Together they want to fight for their seven-year-old daughter to be approved for a walking trainer.
In addition, a transport service is urgently needed for the eldest son. This is the only way he can begin grief therapy in neighboring Belm, reports the companion. “He has finally got a place. Now the transport must not be the reason for failure.”
The job as a family companion is emotional and moving, especially in acute cases. “Nevertheless, I am infinitely grateful to be able to help,” says Aishe Yilmaz.