Empowering Families at Risk

Children can be a catalyst for development not only for themselves, but also for their parents. And likewise, mothers and fathers can help their daughters and sons to thrive – provided that they have the opportunities to do the same themselves. This is especially difficult for disadvantaged families – particularly when it is about receiving the necessary assistance along this path. “Empowering Families at Risk” confronts this challenge from a dual perspective that brings together the different methods of each participating organization: How can work with children and youth be linked to work that addresses parents in such a way that new opportunities for self-determined participation arise that consider the entire family? With this comprehensive approach the project’s participants are treading on new territory. Furthermore, during the joint workshops and project visits in Germany and Israel the participants are not only laying the foundations for new impulses for the work they do but also the basis for a future professional exchange of knowledge and experience.

“Empowering Families at Risk” is a joint initiative of the “The Jewish Agency,” an organization that developed the “Family Futures Program” in Israel, and the project “Neighborhood Mothers” of the social welfare organization, Diakonisches Werk Berlin Stadtmitte e.V. Between January and December 2012, eight to twelve staff members respectively from both institutions will develop new approaches to assisting socially and economically disadvantaged families. Two 5-day work meetings in Israel and in Germany as well as a final web conference are a part of the project.