Online childcare: Book now!
0800 - 801007080 (free of charge) or book at www.familienservice.de.
The children listen intently to what Lena Jeschke is explaining to them. Then they all raise their arms and spin around in a circle. Lena is their vacation supervisor at pme Familienservice and is playing a movement game with them. The special thing: The children are sitting at home in their bedrooms, each alone in front of their own screen. "At first, it was a bit strange looking after the children like this. But they soon got used to it and I was surprised at how well it worked. The children even let me know when they needed to go to the toilet," says Lena.
Already 4700 children have taken part
childcare centers and schools, playgrounds, zoos and swimming pools are open again, but six weeks of summer vacation have been waiting for children and parents since the end of June. Hundreds of thousands of families are once again faced with the big question: How do I get my job done and keep my child happy at the same time? And that is precisely the idea behind virtual vacation childcare: to help parents look after their children so that they can work in peace for a few hours a day.
The virtual vacation program passed the acid test with flying colours last year. "The parents were totally enthusiastic, and the children were already asking after the first week of the vacation whether it would continue," says Think Tank manager Martina Mann from pme Familienservice. She developed the virtual program together with her colleague Astrid Lethert, who manages the pme location in Cologne. "We never thought that the number of registrations would be so high." So far, 4,700 children have taken part in the online childcare program since its launch in April 2020.
"I was surprised at how quickly the children got on so well."
How can a personal relationship be established between the children and the caregiver if everything is done digitally? When everyone sits alone in front of their screen? The solution was obvious: small groups with a maximum of six children and a permanent vacation supervisor. The concept worked, and the first friendships have already developed between the children. Instead of little notes secretly thrown across the classroom to their best friend, they write to each other in the chat. "I was surprised at how quickly the children got on so well," says Michael Christmann, who supervised a group of children aged between nine and 12 during the Easter vacations. "We talked a lot and told each other jokes. By the end of the week, we were all good friends." Six-year-old Lena's initial fear of contact also quickly disappeared: "I was very excited at the beginning. It was all so new to me. But then I wasn't excited any more and looked forward to it every time. The weeks before were very boring for me, I had to play alone with my sister. This week wasn't boring at all.
Beyond crisis: online childcare listed in "Land of Ideas"
The best ideas are emerging now! As one of 3,000 innovative ideas that emerged out of the crisis, the first interactive online childcare was launched on the List of the "Land of Ideas" initiative listed. The initiative Germany - Land of Ideas is the common Location initiative the Federal Government and German industry, represented by the Federation of German Industries (BDI).
"A big thank you to you and the whole team for putting together this online alternative program in a very short space of time. I have rarely been able to work for two hours with such concentration."
Anke L., son 7 years
Facts and figures:
- More than 4700 children have taken part in online childcare since its launch in April 2020
- Over 400 employers have booked online childcare for their employees so far
- Over 400 virtual small groups with 1 vacation childcare provider each
- Approx. 1000 in our new offers "Fairy Tale Hour", "Bambini Offers" or "Star Hour"
- 150 vacation supervisors in total, 1 vacation supervisor even connected from New Zealand
- Extra support hotline for parents
Would you like to book virtual online support?
Call us on 0800 - 801007080 (free of charge) or book our vacation childcare directly in our events calendar.
Virtual online support - the package:
Daily 3 hours of childcare in the morning or afternoon (Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays) divided into:
Virtual small group work
- 2 hours either in the morning or afternoon
- Interactive small groups with an average of 6 children of a similar age
- 1 permanent supervisor per small group
- Reading together, handicrafts, singing and movement games
Martina Mann
is nationwide Head of Think Tank at pme Familienservice and has designed the pme consulting workshops, among other things
Astrid Lethert
manages the Cologne office and is also involved in the development and conceptualization of the pme training courses.
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