12 partner institutions from 10 countries worked together in the learning partnership “Mother Centers developing support structures for active volunteer involvement”.
As different as we are in terms of culture, size, economic conditions and sometimes geographically far apart, we have one thing in common: we are families or groups that create space for the needs of parents and children – to learn from each other and to pass on experiences.
We see ourselves as communities that are there for each other – regardless of origin, religion, education and special needs.
Parent-Child Centers/MotherCenters are places that encourage people to try out their own skills, expand them and pass them on to others.
Most parent-child centers/MCs are largely run on a voluntary basis. It is difficult to find appropriate structures that take into account the high level of voluntary work, give appreciation of the work and take into account the special nature of the parent-child centers.
This was the subject of this partnership – learning from the difficulties of others, exchanging experiences, systematically penetrating them and adapting them for one’s own institution.
The learning partnership has strengthened the community, the mothers center movement has grown and supported the countries that did not already have a national/regional network.
The partnership started in November 2011 with a meeting of all partners in Stuttgart, where topics were found and formulated together where the support and experience of the other partners was required. These subject areas were set as the basis for the exchange visits in such a way that the greatest possible learning success and increase in experience was possible for each partner organization. At the final meeting in Prague in 2013, these learning successes and experiences were made accessible to all partners and worked on in different settings. In June 2012, representatives of all partners met for a 10-day workshop in Holland, which imparted the “Leadership Support Method” – a working method specially developed for institutions and groups that are grassroots-based,
As part of the learning partnership, the mothers’ center network Stowarzyszenie “Mamy Czas” was founded in Poland.
Partner organizations in the learning partnership:
D Mothers’ Forum Baden-Württemberg eV State association of mothers’ centres, family centers and multi-generation houses
- NL Foundation Nest!
- A Umbrella organization of the independent parent-child centers in Austria
- PL Stowarzy Scene “Mamy Czas”
- SK MC Mamy-oaza
- IT Rete Centri Genitori Bambini Alto Adige
- D State association for mothers and family centers in Bavaria eV
- TR Gaziantep Buyuksehir Belediyesi
- HU Holdam Önsegítő és Ismeretterjesztő Egyesület
- BG Integro Association Bulgaria
- CZ Síť mateřských center občanské sdruženi
- CZ Třebíčske centrum os