Hotline - 089 80 99 027 00
Grandparents for hire for thyssenkrupp employees
The Grandparent Lending Project is now starting in the Ruhr area.
Searching for elves in the garden, playing "Don't Get Angry," or reading fairy tales? Time spent with children is precious and brings back one's own childhood. Also with a "temporary grandchild" – as a surrogate grandma or grandpa.
The family service company famPLUS GmbH, together with the Elternservice AWO, has developed a workshop that offers surrogate grandparents the opportunity for further training and a space for exchanging experiences. The two organizations conduct the workshops both jointly and independently. famPLUS arranges the surrogate grandparents for families of employees at renowned companies, now including thyssenkrupp, among others.
The nationwide project began in 2014 in Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich. In the meantime, the Rhine-Main area and Stuttgart have been added. In 2016, Essen will also be on the agenda as a location in the Ruhr area. It starts in March. A two-hour information evening will provide general information for those interested. The two-day workshop then goes deeper.
Meeting at Eye Level
We invite both people who are already working as surrogate grandparents and new interested parties to the workshop," says Helen Karcher, customer manager at famPLUS. Many participants have experience with children through their own kids or grandchildren.
Some have already worked in the educational field, for example as childminders.
“We meet the seniors on equal terms and take their experiences seriously,” emphasizes Helen Karcher. That’s why interaction with the participants is the top priority in the workshop. “It is important to build trust,” she continues, “because the future volunteer grandparents not only invest a lot of time but also take on significant responsibility.”
An important topic area is the changing nature of family life and parenting style. "We generally encounter a great openness and a lot of understanding from the older generation for today's parent generation," says Helen Karcher.
Family connection included
In the discussions during the workshop, it quickly becomes clear who fits with which family. Therefore, the placement with the suitable family is straightforward.
It was love at first sight," recalls 61-year-old Angela Miksch of her first meeting with her foster grandchildren. The Berlin native takes care of them twice a week in the afternoons. "You need a purpose in life and sometimes you have to get out of your own four walls," she explains her motivation. "You get so much back," is the core message of the enthusiastic foster grandma Gabriele Krschka from Stuttgart: "When a child smiles at you and trusts you, that's really wonderful.
famPLUS client in the Ruhr area, for example, is thyssenkrupp, which provides the service to its employees free of charge. The service is also free for the substitute grandparents.
The guardianship contract is ultimately concluded directly between the surrogate grandparents and the family. Usually, it is based on a 450-euro arrangement. This depends on how many hours the surrogate grandparents are in service. "The payment is not only a recognition of the performance of surrogate grandparents. It also ensures commitment on both sides," explains Helen Karcher.
famPLUS - Together for your personal PLUS!
