2/7: Today in our BRISE series we speak with Dr. Heidemarie Rose, co-founder of the BRISE project, about being a parent, educational equity, beacons of hope and about family-friendly, supportive places.
Dr. Rose, everyone is talking about the importance of early childhood development, why is it so important?
"We know that a child's development initially takes place in very close proximity to its parents. First and foremost, I want to emphasize: becoming a parent turns your whole life upside down. Having a child can mean the greatest happiness, but it can also be exhausting and nerve-wracking.".
And how do you actually know how to be a parent? No one has to face the many challenges, both big and small, alone. Bremen offers a wide range of services to support pregnant women and young families. When parents take advantage of these services, it benefits not only themselves but also their child's development. Supporting expectant parents from pregnancy until their child starts school is therefore the goal of the Bremen Initiative for Strengthening Early Childhood Development (BRISE).
Parents have a major influence on the development of their children
The family in which we grow up significantly shapes the environment in which early childhood development takes place. From the very beginning, we depend on stimulation from our surroundings. The beneficial effects of this stimulation on the development of a child's thinking, feeling, and social behavior are reflected years later in the educational and life opportunities of adolescents and adults.
Children as bearers of hope
Children, especially very young children, are bearers of hope. Parents and society promise to equip them for their future, protecting and nurturing them. In a complex and increasingly complicated world, this equipping depends on diverse resources and opportunities from both parents and society. Early childhood development for well-being requires strength – human, material, and financial.
The key to greater educational equity
Cognitive, motor, and emotional development is affected by conditions during pregnancy and later in early childhood that can have either a beneficial or a detrimental influence on the child's development. The beneficial and detrimental factors of developmental and educational processes within the family and wider environment are well-researched.
Looking at, for example, the language development of the child, it is easy to see the impact of how a child is spoken to in infancy, be it the quality or the quantity of linguistic communication.
Children should realize their right to education regardless of their background. A sound demand; we can all quickly agree on that. But what can be done? A key to greater educational equity lies in integrated, systematic, and continuous support for children, oriented towards their everyday lives. Crucial to this is the concrete collaboration and cooperation between the health sector, youth services, and the education sector
What would you like a family to say about BRISE?
"BRISE helps me to be a good mother and/or a good father. Now I know that I don't have to do everything alone. I have learned to 'read' my little child and to adjust my behavior towards the child's needs. Through BRISE, I have gained joy in my child's development, but I can also question myself and, most importantly, I can be proud of my child."
Imagine if all parents were allowed to participate in the BRISE program, what would be different in Bremen?
"All parents know that crises can occur both in their child's development and in their own lives, and that crises are inevitable. Parents seek out the places and services that support them in navigating these crises safely. Parents encounter interdisciplinary and interprofessional teams who don't first need to clarify 'responsibilities' but instead 'tackle' the issues together, sometimes systematically and over an extended period.".
Simply put, there are welcoming places for children and parents all over this city where you enjoy spending time with children and other parents, where your needs are seen and appreciated.”
What are some family-friendly places where you like to spend time with your family?
"Definitely the Bürgerpark with everything that goes with it, then Wachmannstraße in Schwachhausen, where you can shop, eat ice cream and visit cafes. The Blockland and the Wümmendeiche are also great places – you can go cycling, watch herons and take a break in the Hofcafé Gartelmann."
Dr. Heidemarie Rose is committed to early childhood development in Bremen and is a co-founder of the BRISE initiative. The educational scientist coordinated BRISE for the city of Bremen until 2021 and prior to that, until 2018, headed the State Youth Welfare Office and the Department for Young People and Families at the Senator for Social Affairs, Youth, Integration and Sport. Today, she provides voluntary consulting services to projects and initiatives aimed at strengthening early childhood development.
