Düren

Düren District

Family-Friendly Community 2024: An Attractive Living Environment for Families

Families at the Heart

The Düren district is home to more than 280,000 residents spread across 15 municipalities. Located between Cologne and Aachen, the Düren district has been experiencing population growth due to in-migration for more than a decade.

A Home for Families

In the Düren district, about 17 percent of residents are under 18 years of age, while 22 percent are over 65. With its “300,000+” growth strategy, the Düren district aims to actively promote immigration and, in particular, to offer families an attractive living environment. Immigration is viewed here as an opportunity, especially in the context of demographic change. 

Since 2018, daycare has been largely free of charge, which provides financial relief for families. A variety of intergenerational projects and an intergenerational affairs officer contribute to social cohesion in the Düren district.

2024 State Award for Family-Friendly Communities

Creating a competitive advantage in the Düren district through family-friendliness—that’s what impressed the jury at the State Award for Family-Friendly Municipalities 2024 in the “Large City” category. The Düren district promotes itself with a broad, intergenerational range of services and embodies tolerance toward all family models.

Here we present some of the district’s offerings. Further information, links to project descriptions, and details about the State of North Rhine-Westphalia’s award can be found in the sidebar.

Family-Friendly Activities in the Düren District

  1. Prevention Strategy “Growing Up Well in the Düren District”

    The prevention strategy aims to contribute to equal opportunities in the Düren district and ensure that all children and adolescents can “grow up well.” Since 2012, a wide range of services provided by nonprofit and public organizations has ensured a continuum of prevention support from pregnancy through to working life. These include, among others, the “Triple P Online (Positive Parenting Program),” which trains and supports parents in dealing with their children’s behavioral and emotional problems, as well as the outreach crisis support team “Akut.” Since 2021, these services have also been supplemented by a family office.

  2. Old & Young: Opportunity Mentorships

    For nearly ten years, this program has been matching immigrant families—particularly refugee families—with senior citizens. The 20 “Chance Mentorship” partnerships currently in place help new arrivals settle into the Düren district, for example by providing support in daily life and organizing shared leisure activities. Meanwhile, new initiatives have emerged from the “Chancenpatenschaften” program, such as the “Bunte Chor Kreis Düren” (Colorful Choir of the Düren District), which sings in various languages, and the “Generations – Culture – Diversity” project, which organizes joint vacation activities for people of all ages.

  3. For Children and Teens on the Go

    Together with the Sozialdienst katholischer Frauen e. V., the Düren district operates the youth bus “Die Wilde 13 2.0” and the children’s and youth mobile “ninJA.” Both buses travel throughout the various municipalities in the Düren district. “ninJA” specializes in particular in working with queer children and youth, offering them an accessible first point of contact. At the same time, the program aims to promote tolerance.

The Other Award-Winning Municipalities for 2024

The cities of Gladbeck, Hamm, and Brühl, as well as the municipalities of Windeck and Dörentrup, were also recognized for their innovative, family-friendly initiatives . The projects range from family-oriented intergenerational initiatives to family-friendly city halls.

  • Hamm

    Family-Friendly Community 2024: Focus on Family-Friendliness

  • Gladbeck

    Family-Friendly Community 2024: A Young, Diverse, and Family-Friendly City

  • Brühl

    Family-Friendly Municipality 2024: Committed to a City That Is Child- and People-Friendly

Further Information Activities for Families in the Düren District

For more than 20 years, numerous initiatives have ensured a successful prevention chain so that all children and adolescents have equal opportunities.

Growing Up Well in the Düren District

Senior volunteers support newly arrived immigrants, particularly refugees, through a mentoring program.

Old & Young

Two mobile children's and youth centers are on the road in the Düren district.

On the Road in the Düren District

With the free family card, families can enjoy discounts at nearly 500 participating businesses (shopping and leisure) in the Düren district and the neighboring Aachen metropolitan region.

Family Ticket

Volunteer language mentors help newly arrived children and teenagers learn German.

SmiLe Language Mentoring Program

Further Information Video of the winning municipality

YouTube

The video from our winning municipality, Düren, impressively demonstrates the kinds of family-friendly municipal services that can be offered locally.

YouTube

Further Information Further Reading

“We Embrace Diversity”: Under this motto, the Ministry of Family Affairs in North Rhine-Westphalia has established a state award for municipalities that are particularly committed to meeting the needs of families.

State Award for Municipalities Press Release dated September 18, 2024

Whether it’s people living together in different living arrangements and household structures, the diversity of family life, varied educational and career paths, or different immigration histories: diversity is part of North Rhine-Westphalia’s DNA.

Diversity in North Rhine-Westphalia: Facts and Figures