All Inclusive - Ldv Partnership

Caritas Kinderhaus Krailling
EU Partnership – Project „All inclusive”
Visit of the participants 15th of November 2012

On the 15th of November our groups visited the Caritas Kinderhaus in Krailling, where the first integrity function group was grounded in 1992.

In the kindergarten the composition of the professionals are the following:
head of department (full-time)
preschool teacher
preschool teacher assistant
job intern
curative educationalist (part-time)
dance- and expressional/movement therapist
occupational therapists
Pető-therapist
speech therapist

In Caritas Kinderhaus they have 3 different kinds of groups. In the regular groups there are 2 ½ established posts: one preschool teacher (full-time), one assistant (full-time) and one preschool teacher or an assistant (part-time).
In the integrity function groups there are 2 ½ established posts as well: two preschool teachers, one job or intern or an assistant.
In the nursery group they also have 2 ½ posts: two preschool teachers and one assistant.
In Caritas the most needed experts (speech therapists, occupational therapists, Pető-therapist etc.) regularly come to the kindergarten besides the therapeutically staff.
Additionally, it is always possible to invite the occasional needed specialists (psychologists, physiotherapists, family advice center, etc.) into their institution, because there is a cooperation between them.
All of the colleagues of Caritas have the possibility for further education in every year, for 5 days.

There are 131 children in the institution – 13 of them are children with special needs. Preschool teachers and assistants, job interns, curative educationalist, dance-and expression/movement therapist, speech therapist, occupational therapist and Pető-therapist are the specialists who work with these children.
The hosting of the children in the institution starts with the first interview with the parents. In this interview they are (the parents and the head of department) discussing the special needs of the child, they are checking the medical and any other kind of reports (in the medical report the “need of an integrative function measure” must be mentioned), and they are start getting to know the child. Furthermore they are discussing whether the institution is able to cope with the needs of the child considering the diagnosis, the child’s behavior and the complexity of the care.
Exchanging contact details in order to the possible communication at all times is also happening at the first interview.
Those children who live in their community have first priority, so if he/she lives in another one a child-visiting-application is necessary.
The application of an “integrative measure” at the district of Oberbayern is made by the parents and the formula is handed out by the curative educationalist. The allowance is made by the district and a few weeks after the application has been made, both the parents and the kindergarten receive the allowance at the same time, which is limited to one year and has to be requested by the parents yearly.
After the familiarization in the group has begun (in agreement with the parents), the leading preschool teacher makes an additional conversation with the parents and the promotion of the child on a trustful basis also begun. In the first weeks the curative educationalist visits the group of the child to support it in its usual environment.
In Caritas they have a special protocol for the inclusion and they also maintain a very accurate documentation:
promotion plans: every 6 months (stay in the institution)
development report: every year (June/July). It is sent to the district, together with the application of continuation of the measure (informal, written by the parents, signed by all persons having the care and custody of the child).
The district decides, if the integrative measure will be authorized for another year.
The promotion plan and the development report can be handed out to the parents, which make the work of the kindergarten transparent.
The meetings with the parents are documented by a protocol (additional communication by e-mail).
integrative team- meeting (every month); documented by protocols
therapist-meeting (every 3 months); “round-table meeting” (therapists, leading preschool teachers, and the curative educationalist ); documented by protocols (current state of development of the child and determination of the pedagogical aims)
communication/meeting between curative educationalist and preschool teacher (weekly)

The head of the department decides if a child can be enrolled and whether there is an opportunity to support the child optimally, concerning the needs. They have only rejected one child with special needs in a time period of twenty years, in order to the degree of the disability was too high. They believe that if the complexity of care is too high, that the child can’t be looked after and supported optimally in their institution, it is helpful to offer the parents a more suitable institution.

The Caritas kindergarten also has a follow up practice when a child leaves their institution. The parents can give the written consent to the pedagogical staff which allows them to exchange their experiences. However this written consent is optional, in many cases Caritas stays in contact with the families.
The financial support of the institution comes from the Caritasverband der Erzdiözese München und Freising e.V..
The institution also provides extra services apart from the basics, like: occupational therapy, speech therapy, Pető-therapy, creative dance and movement, English, musical school and medical benefits.
The occupational therapy, speech therapy and physical therapies are financed by the health insurance, and he Pető –therapy is financed on application by the local district.
Otherwise parents do have to pay a monthly contribution (lunch and playtime money), but those families who can’t pay this amount get financial support from the district office. The integrative measure is also financed by the district.
Special equipments are financed by a special budget from the community and special aids are financed on application by the district.

The kindergarten is situated in Krailling, a community of ca. 8000 residents. Krailling belongs to the rural district of Starnberg and is close to Munich. This area is quite popular because of its idyllic and central position, however the living costs are a bit high. This high quality of life contains lots of outdoor- and educational offers (there are lots of forests to explore nature directly).
The building is going to be renovated in the following 2 years, but they already have an electronic stair lift which goes up into the first floor – where a disabled toilet can be found. The hallway of the building can be reached over ramps and the 2500 m2 garden is reachable from all the group rooms through barrier free doors.
The kindergarten also has some special rooms for the therapies:
sensory room (less stimulations, cozy atmosphere, quietness)
therapy room (platform swing, therapeutical game materials)
ball-room
gym
little therapy room for speech therapy

The staff is able to use sign-supported communication if it needed.
During the visit we had the possibility to experience the democratic atmosphere in the institution which helps to educate responsible members for the society. Children have the right to dispose their own free time. They can choose between different activities without supervision – they only have to put their picture on the right spot on a magnetic board.
The teachers make great effort to shape up everybody’s portfolio through the years they spend in the institution.
The cooperation with the different professionals is implemented in a very high quality, which put the children’s aim at the very first place.
I personally really liked the idea that groups can choose their own menu for an exact day which also helps to teach everybody cooperation and shows the meaning of the healthy lifestyle.