Photo: K. Röhl

With the support of the Software AG Foundation (SAGST), the Waldorf kindergarten "Haus Tomte" in Magdeburg has opened a family center. Parents, grandparents and children can meet here to exchange ideas, find advice and receive Waldorf educational impulses for everyday life.

With this new approach, the Waldorf kindergarten is responding to a tangible need in Magdeburg's Sudenburg district: families want places where they can talk to each other and support each other. The family center in "Haus Tomte" wants to offer just that - regardless of origin, religion or social background. The aim is to strengthen families in their parenting skills and to support them in a variety of situations.

In order to create the necessary space, the attic of the kindergarten was extended and an outbuilding renovated with funding from SAGST. This provides sufficient space for parent-child groups, a family café and creative courses such as doll sewing or artistic work. Special advisory services are also planned, such as a breastfeeding group, consultation hours with an anthroposophical doctor and afternoons for grandparents. All formats are based on Waldorf education, which focuses on holistic development and attentive support.

"Helping parents in particular has a preventative effect and can stabilize families in the long term," says Jens Maurer, project manager at SAGST, describing the objective. "We want to give families a space in which they can build trust, ask questions and inspire each other. Children need a supportive environment, and parents need encouragement and guidance." The Waldorf Kindergarten Magdeburg has decades of experience in this area: Since its foundation in 1990, it has enriched the city's educational landscape. The institution sees the family meeting place as the next step in a consistent development - for children, parents and Magdeburg's urban society.