Baby hatch

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

The baby hatch is a facility for desperate young mothers who – for whatever reason – decide against the option of an anonymous birth in the hospital. Integrated into the hatch is a crib that is under constant camera surveillance. As soon as the hatch in the outer wall of the nursing home is opened, it triggers an alarm that alerts the on-duty caregiver in the residential area. From their office, they can see whether a baby has actually been left there and react accordingly.

If this is the case, a routine procedure is initiated: The foundling is taken to the Schwarzwald-Baar Clinic and thoroughly examined in the children's hospital. If healthy, it remains in the hospital's care for two to three days. The baby that was just placed in the hatch is also currently there.

After the clinical examination, the child is placed in emergency foster care – the child temporarily goes to a family who cares for it during the initial period. During this time, the biological mother has the opportunity to contact them and reclaim her baby.

If she declines, however, families are available to take in the child. Adoption can then take place – the timing depends on the individual case. The primary goal, however, is to reunite mother and child. Therefore, brochures with all the necessary contact information are available at the baby hatch. The people in charge at the ProKids Foundation always hope that the woman will reconsider and come forward. There is no clearly defined timeframe for the mother, as she should not feel pressured. Nevertheless, none of the women who left their babies at the hatch have yet reclaimed their children. The babies left 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 for such a happy childhood in a stable environment. This is precisely what Joachim Spitz is concerned about. Years ago, he read in the newspaper about a mother who had left her newborn in a plastic bag in a forest near Singen, where it inevitably died. “Something like this must never happen again,” he decided at the time, and he took decisive action: In short order, he initiated the installation of a baby hatch at the Franziskusheim children's home in Schwenningen. The project cost around €30,000, but every cent has been worth it. The hatch has already saved the lives of four babies.

He cannot understand why the baby hatch concept is occasionally criticized. "The argument that it makes it easy for women to get rid of a child doesn't hold water for me. These young mothers are all in a state of extreme psychological distress. One should remember: they are in dire need. A baby hatch is not just an elegant solution for shirking parental responsibility. It offers the child a chance 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 table in the school cafeteria at Deutenberg in the future.”

Providing children from disadvantaged families with a hot school lunch – that 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 the cost of school meals. Hot meals for socially disadvantaged students are now primarily financed through the Education and Participation Package. But in Schwenningen, ProKids is now returning to its roots. This is because the EU School Fruit Scheme for secondary schools has ended there.

This funding 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 primary school and kindergarten children have regularly enjoyed an extra portion of fresh fruit and vegetables – older children are left out. This also included the children who regularly eat in the Deutenberg cafeteria. That's around 200 children a day. Most of them, about 150, attend the vocational and secondary school, where all-day classes are offered. But secondary school and grammar school students also like to stop by cafeteria manager Kerstin Resack's cafeteria when they have afternoon classes.

“Fruit and vegetables are very popular here,” explains Eva-Maria Zimmermann, the team leader of the all-day care program. “The discontinuation of the EU school fruit program has definitely left a gap in the menu.” This was also a source of frustration for Gisela Singer, deputy headmistress of the secondary school. She knows that healthy food is very popular with the students.

In home economics classes as well as in the all-day care program, great emphasis is placed on raising young people's awareness of healthy and conscious eating. Eva-Maria Zimmermann and her team of caregivers 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 important to teach young people this,” says Joachim Spitz. “Those who eat healthily also increase their chances of staying healthy.” For the ProKids Foundation, that was reason enough to step in once again. “From now on, we’ll be financing the students here at Deutenberg’s daily dose of vitamins in the form of fruit and vegetables,” he explains. Many of the children who eat in the cafeteria every day are families who also receive the school lunch subsidy. Gisela Singer is delighted with the foundation’s commitment: “It’s been very well received!”

And canteen manager Kerstin Resack is also delighted. 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 particularly like kohlrabi." And apples are also in demand – an average of around 15 kilograms are sold each week.

Picture:

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

Image: ProKids Foundation