Bremen Initiative for Strengthening Early Childhood Development (BRISE)

BRISE is Bremen's initiative to strengthen early childhood development. With this initiative, the city of Bremen focuses on the development of children in their first years of life. Bremen is committed to providing even more effective support for children and their families during this phase of life.

Therefore, BRISE is also being scientifically monitored. The long-term study on BRISE will provide important information about the effects and structures of early childhood development. The city of Bremen will gain new insights for its future development of early childhood support, and other municipalities will also be able to learn from the experiences of BRISE. Starting in summer 2017, families expecting a child can be included in the scientific monitoring program.

The support program extends over several years: starting in the last trimester of pregnancy and continuing into the first year of primary school.
Families from the following districts of Bremen are eligible to participate:

In the north of Bremen:

• Aumund-Hammersbeck
• Blumenthal
• Burgdamm
• Ferry Lobbendorf
• Grohn
• Lesum
• Lüssum-Bockhorn
• Vegesack

In the south of Bremen:

• Old New Town
• Buntentor
• Garden City South
• Hohentor South
• Huckelriede
• Kattenesch
• Kattenturm
• Kirchhuchting
• Mittelshuchting
• Sodenmatt
• Southern Suburb
• Woltmershausen

In Bremen East:

• Blockdiek
• Ellenerbrok-Schevemoor
• Hemelingen
• New Vahr North
• New Vahr Southeast
• New Vahr Southwest
• Sebaldsbrück

In Bremen's west:

• Gröpelingen
• Wallen
• Lindenhof
• Ohlenhof
• Oslebshausen
• Overseas City
• Utbremen
• Steffensweg
• Easter bonfire
• Westend

Some families participating in BRISE receive support in accessing the services offered by BRISE over the years. Most families, however, decide for themselves, as usual, which services they wish to utilize for themselves and their child. From the time shortly before the child's birth until their first year of primary school, information is repeatedly collected from the families as part of a long-term scientific study, and the child's development is monitored.

The current four-year funding for the long-term study is to be extended for another four years. The scientific monitoring usually takes place in the family's home environment. It is conducted by a qualified contact person who is assigned to the family long-term, and the families are compensated for their time and effort. Through BRISE, mothers and fathers regularly receive additional information about their child's development.

Who is BRISE?
BRISE primarily refers to the BRISE families who participate in the initiative. Mothers and fathers from the participating districts, whose lives are characterized by certain challenges and who would like to benefit from support within the BRISE program, can become BRISE families.

Please contact us if you are expecting a child and are interested in participating in BRISE or would like further information. Participation in BRISE is free of charge. BRISE is supported by the Senate of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the Jacobs Foundation, and numerous scientists.

Three departments of the Bremen Senate support BRISE:

• Department of Social Affairs, Youth, Women, Integration and Sport
• Department for Children and Education
• Department of Science, Health and Consumer Protection

What does BRISE include?
In the city's districts, BRISE collaborates with support centers and services to strengthen early childhood development. Seven of these services are presented below; some of the families participating in BRISE have already accessed them. They largely complement existing services in Bremen and are open to all Bremen families.

BRISE's contact points
cover large parts of Bremen. To enable families and other interested parties to contact BRISE personally in their local area, there are so-called BRISE contact points. At each contact point, there are people who are particularly knowledgeable about BRISE.

Contact points are places where you can find out more about BRISE. For those working in the field of family and children, contact points offer the opportunity to get in touch with BRISE and receive information and materials.

>> BRISE on site – Our contact points

Contact Us:
Would you like to learn more about BRISE? We are happy to assist you. To get in touch, please send an email to brise@uni-bremen.de or call us at +49 421 218-68660. Your contact person at the University of Bremen is Prof. Dr. Birgit Mathes.