Minister Verena Schäffer: Strong families, strong children

Verena Schäffer: When I look at family policy in North Rhine-Westphalia, I see many support options for families and a lot that we can build on. We have created structures that offer families guidance. In the digital space, the family portal offers a wide range of information on family life in different phases of life. Locally, family education centers, family centers and family counseling centers offer services that support families in their everyday lives. At the same time, we focus on programs that directly reach families in the state. With family time, we enable families on low incomes to take a break from everyday life.

I think it is very important that benefits to which families are entitled actually reach them. For example, the benefits of the education and participation package. They address precisely where low-income families need support: School trips, tutoring or even shared lunches at school and daycare centers are paid for. It is important to me to continue working together with the local authorities to ensure that these benefits reach as many children and young people as possible and that the administrative burden is reduced for everyone.

Parents and families achieve an enormous amount every day - in a wide variety of life situations and family forms. Family life has changed dramatically in recent years. Many are under great time, financial and organizational pressure. At the same time, global crises are affecting the everyday lives of many families. This is why equal opportunities are of central importance to me: every child should have a good start - regardless of their background or their family's income. To achieve this, we need early, tailored support and reliable structures that provide particular support where the need is greatest. You can find them here on the family portal.

It is just as important to consistently consider family diversity: single parents, patchwork and rainbow families, foster and adoptive families, multi-child families and families with a migrant background. Services must be non-discriminatory, understandable and actually accessible to everyone. And it is important to me that the compatibility of family and career is noticeably improved. Families need time, predictability and relief through reliable childcare, flexible solutions in the world of work and a culture in which care and gainful employment go together. My claim is: family policy must prove itself in everyday life - reliable, low-threshold and noticeably relieving.

For me, the Familienportal.NRW is a real support in everyday family life. Precisely because there are countless sources and channels of information these days, it is all the more important to get reliable and well-supported information from an official source - and that is exactly what the portal offers for people in North Rhine-Westphalia, everything important on one platform. Whether it's about financial benefits, advice services or everyday questions: the information is presented in a clear and understandable way, is up-to-date and easy to find. I find it particularly important that families can find out on the Familienportal.NRW what benefits are available to them, what they are entitled to and how they can submit applications online. This provides orientation, gives security and makes life easier for families.

The effects of the coronavirus pandemic have also played a major role in my family. My impression at the time was that children and young people were not being listened to enough. That's why, during the pandemic, I became more determined to take on more responsibility in politics and to stand up for children and young people, for all families. This is also what drives me as Family Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia. This also includes improving the compatibility of family and career for parents, especially women. Because strong families make children strong.