Rural Communities and Small Towns in North Rhine-Westphalia

The town of Altenberge, with its six farming communities, is located near Münster. Of its approximately 12,000 residents, about 2,000 are under the age of 18 and 1,300 are over the age of 65. 

Family-Friendly Services

The Altenberge Family Alliance offers several resources for families: At the Haus für Alle, the alliance offers a wide range of counseling services for people with an immigrant background, for families in general, for young parents, and for those experiencing homelessness. In addition, there are also open meeting places such as the Digital Café. The Haus Kindertraum is a participatory and networking hub for young families and pregnant women. 

In addition, the Family Alliance runs a sustainable thrift store, a bike repair shop, and a Repair Café, a volunteer-run language school, and individual projects such as “Wir für Kinder,” Demokra-Tisch, Kinderrechte Park, the Round Table on Child Protection, and a large summer program.

Five districts together make up the municipality of Borchen and provide a home for its nearly 14,000 residents.

Family-Friendly Programs

The Entdecker KUBUS in the district of Dörenhagen offers a shared educational and childcare facility for children and families. The new building houses a daycare center, an open all-day school, and a cafeteria under one roof. This allows children to learn and grow in a familiar environment from early childhood through the end of elementary school. For parents, this childcare provides vital support in balancing work, family, and daily life.

The six villages of Hiddenhausen in East Westphalia are home to a total of about 20,000 residents, 17.7 percent of whom are under 18 and 23.8 percent of whom are over 65. 

Family-Friendly Services

The municipality’s family policy is open to all forms of family life and is designed to be intergenerational. Starting with the older population, the Office for Seniors and People with Disabilities serves as a contact and counseling center. In addition, smartphone workshops and creative groups are also offered. 

The “Young Buys Old” initiative is aimed at young families and supports them in purchasing properties that are at least 25 years old. 

Open to all age groups is the Culture Workshop. It offers a space to bring creative ideas to life.

The municipality of Kalletal, with its 13,000 residents, spans sixteen districts. 

Family-Friendly Services

To address the long distances typical of a rural, geographically spread-out municipality, Kalletal relies on a prevention- and social-space-oriented approach. A systematic social environment analysis identifies stressors affecting children, adolescents, and families and serves as the basis for needs-based services. Referral services at doctors’ offices, family support workers, and early intervention services reach families at an early stage and provide tailored referrals for counseling and support. The close network of daycare centers, schools, youth services, healthcare providers, and counseling centers also contributes to this. Parent education programs such as “ElternabendPLUS” and “Runder Teppich” provide practical information on various everyday issues and empower parents to take action.

The small town of Kirchlengern is located north of Bielefeld in the Herford district and is home to 16,500 residents. About 20 percent of households have children.

Family-Friendly Services

The municipality of Kirchlengern places particular emphasis on care for the municipality’s youngest residents. For elementary school children, continuous vacation programs are available through the open all-day school and before- and after-school care; in addition, there are extensive vacation activities. The children’s cultural program provides children ages four and up with low-threshold access to culture and combines events in and around the parish library with targeted reading promotion. The volunteer reading mentors from the MENTOR association provide one-on-one support to children for at least one year as they learn to read.

As the northernmost city in North Rhine-Westphalia, the city of Rahden in East Westphalia-Lippe embraces a broad and diverse understanding of family life and has established the Family and Senior Citizens Services Office for its approximately 16,000 residents. For those under 18—who make up 17.9 percent of the population—Rahden has developed several innovative programs.

Family-Friendly Services

The Familienburg is a resource center for (expectant) parents looking for a midwife, a toddler group, early music education, exercise classes for mothers, or other services. 

Rahden has also reimagined the concept of playgrounds: The SPIELPLATZTREFF app provides an overview of Rahden’s playgrounds, including the pump track facility, which was suggested by residents. 

For residents over 65—who make up 22.8 percent of Rahden’s population—Rahden has launched the initiative “Generation 65+”. This initiative plans and organizes smartphone classes, game and movie afternoons, volunteer ride-sharing services, and much more.

Schöppingen, the youngest municipality in the Borken district with about 7,000 residents, demonstrates how growth can happen in rural areas. 

Family-Friendly Services

A special focus is placed on further developing and promoting family-friendly community and infrastructure development to open up opportunities for young families in this predominantly rural municipality. This includes the expansion of the Brictius Elementary School into an open all-day school with an accompanying summer vacation program, in collaboration with local clubs and organizations. The “Haltestelle” Youth Center offers children and teenagers free recreational and educational activities.