A new employee-friendly compact course from PiB and wisoak will start on June 1st as recognized educational time in the field of foster care.
PiB is breaking new ground: For the first time, the central specialist and contact point for foster families, mentoring programs, and child day care in Bremen, together with the Bremen-based educational provider wisoak, is offering recognized educational leave in the field of foster care. Anyone considering becoming a foster parent can now qualify in just five days – with full pay. Previously, the qualification to become a foster parent consisted of three basic modules, which interested individuals completed over several evenings or weekends at the PiB training center. "For some people, it means a lot of organizational effort to juggle everyday life and qualification," says PiB Managing Director Judith Pöckler-von Lingen. "We want to remove this hurdle, because we are constantly looking for suitable families for foster children." For this reason, the qualification to become a foster parent is now offered as a five-day intensive course.
A week that changed things
And the best part: Participants don't have to use their regular vacation time. According to the Bremen Educational Leave Act, employees are entitled to five days of paid leave per year, or ten days of educational leave within two years. This time can now be used effectively for something that extends far beyond one's daily work: qualification as a foster parent. From June 1st to 5th, 2026, the educational leave program "When Children Cannot Live with Their Parents – Foster Care" will take place for the first time. The five-day program runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day and will be held at the wisoak Education Center in Bremen-Hastedt (Bertha-von-Suttner-Straße 17).
The content provides a comprehensive insight into the world of foster care:
- Fundamentals of foster care in Bremen
- Overview of different care options
- Legal framework: Taking children into care, full-time foster care, child protection, participation
- Role of the various actors in the system
- Cooperation with PiB, the Office for Social Affairs and the foster child's parents
- Next steps for applying to become a foster family
Cooperation between PiB and wisoak
This program is made possible through a collaboration with wisoak, one of the most experienced educational providers in Bremen and the surrounding region. PiB hopes this partnership will make it easier for many interested individuals to get started in foster care. The course is a beginning – not an end. Those who decide to continue their journey as foster parents after completing the training will find PiB to be the perfect partner. Here, people are supported throughout the entire application process, the specialist service provides expert advice, and remains a point of contact even after a foster child has been placed with them.
Interested? You can register directly by email to: For questions regarding the process and content of the educational leave, please contact Ms. Anke Willemer from the PiB Education Center.
Source: Qualification as a foster family – now via educational leave | PiB – Foster children in Bremen, April 28, 2026
