baby hatch

Once again, the ProKids Foundation's Schwenningen baby hatch has saved a young life: Joachim Spitz, Chairman of the ProKids Foundation's Board of Trustees, confirmed to the press that on the night of ... (date), another newborn was placed in the hatch at the Franziskusheim on Neckarstrasse. The girl/boy (gender) is the fifth child to be placed in the hatch since 2010. The incident demonstrates once again how important the establishment of a baby hatch in Schwenningen is for the entire region.

The baby hatch is a facility for desperate young mothers who, for whatever reason, choose not to give birth anonymously in a hospital. A crib is integrated into the hatch, which is constantly monitored by cameras. As soon as the hatch in the outer wall of the nursing home is opened, it triggers a bell signal for the on-duty nurse in the living area. They can see from their office whether a baby has actually been placed there and can react quickly.

If this is the case, a routine begins: The foundling is taken to the Schwarzwald-Baar Hospital and undergoes a thorough examination in the children's clinic. If healthy, it remains in the hospital's care for two to three days. The baby, which has now been placed in the hatch, is currently being cared for there.

After the clinical examination, the child is placed in emergency care—the child is temporarily placed with a family who will care for it for the initial period. During this period, the birth mother has a constant opportunity to contact the family and reclaim her baby.

If she declines, however, there are families available who can take the child. Adoption can then take place – the exact date, however, depends on the individual case. The primary goal, however, is to reunite mother and child. Therefore, the baby hatch also contains brochures with all the necessary contact information. Those responsible for the ProKids Foundation always hope that the woman will come to her senses and get in touch. There is no clearly defined time frame for the mother, as they don't want her to feel pressured. Nevertheless, so far, none of the women who left their babies at the hatch have reclaimed their child. The babies abandoned here by their unknown mothers were all in excellent health and are now growing up in foster families. Now baby number five also has the chance of such a happy childhood in an intact environment. This is precisely what Joachim Spitz is all about. Years ago, he read in the newspaper that a mother had left her newborn in a plastic bag in a forest near Singen, where it inevitably died. "Something like this must not happen again," he decided at the time, and took action: Within a short time, he initiated the installation of a baby hatch in the Schwenningen Franziskusheim (St. Francis Home). The project cost around €30,000, but it was worth every cent. The hatch has already saved the lives of four babies.

He can't understand why the baby hatch principle is occasionally criticized. "The argument that it makes it easier for women to get rid of a child doesn't hold water in my opinion. These young mothers are all in a particularly difficult psychological situation. One should remember: they are in great distress. A baby hatch isn't just an elegant solution to evade parental responsibility. It's a chance for the child at a second life!"

cafeteria

Man does not live by bread alone," laughs Joachim Spitz, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the ProKids Foundation VS. "Because fruit and vegetables are healthy and especially important for students, we are now ensuring that there will be plenty of them on the tables in the Deutenberg school cafeteria in the future."

Funding hot school meals for children from low-income families was the first project of the ProKids Foundation, which supports poor children and young people in the city and region in many ways. Since then, many more projects have been added, especially since the government now covers school meals. Hot meals for socially disadvantaged students are now primarily funded through the Education and Participation Package. But in Schwenningen, ProKids is now returning to its roots. This is because the EU School Fruit Program for secondary school students has expired here.

This support program aims to show children that fruit, vegetables, and milk are not only healthy, but also delicious. The EU provides its member states with a total of €250 million annually for this purpose. Baden-Württemberg has taken advantage of the opportunities offered by the EU school program. However, for some time now, only elementary school and daycare children have regularly enjoyed an extra portion of fresh fruit and vegetables – the older children are left empty-handed. Until now, this has included the children who regularly eat in the Deutenberg cafeteria. There are around 200 of them every day. Most of them, around 150, attend the vocational and secondary school, where classes are held all day. But secondary school and high school students also enjoy stopping by cafeteria manager Kerstin Resack when they have school in the afternoon.

"Fruit and vegetables are very popular here," explains Eva-Maria Zimmermann, the team leader for all-day care. "The loss of the EU school fruit program has already left a gap in the menu." This was also a concern for Gisela Singer, vice principal of the vocational school. She knows that healthy food is well received by the students.

In home economics classes, as well as in all-day care, great emphasis is placed on raising young people's awareness of healthy and mindful eating. For example, the caregivers led by Eva-Maria Zimmermann often go shopping with their charges and then prepare the food together. The learning effect is important: "The children see that not only cola and lemonade taste good, but also healthy drinks like water with a slice of lemon and mint."

"It's extremely worthwhile to teach young people something like this," says Joachim Spitz. "Those who eat healthily also increase their chances of staying healthy." For the ProKids Foundation, this was reason enough to step in once again in this situation. "Starting now, we will be funding the students here at Deutenberg with their daily dose of vitamins in the form of fruit and vegetables," he explains. Among the daily cafeteria patrons are many children whose families also claim subsidies for school meals. Gisela Singer is delighted with the foundation's commitment: "It's been very well received!"

Cafeteria manager Kerstin Resack is also pleased. Thanks to ProKids, she can now serve melons, cherries, and much more, a total of around 50 kilograms of fruit and vegetables per week. She knows: "Our students especially like kohlrabi." And apples are also in demand – an average of around 15 kilograms are consumed per week.

Picture:

The ProKids Foundation will now finance the daily portion of fruit and vegetables for students eating in the Deutemnberg cafeteria. This is well received by (from left) Vice Principal Gisela Singer, Eva-Maria Zimmermann, team leader of all-day care, and cafeteria manager Kerstin Resack. On the right is ProKids CEO Joachim Spitz.

Image: ProKids Foundation