During the child's first year of life, the Wellcome program relieves young families. Volunteers step in where help is needed. The program is available almost everywhere and has already proven to be a blessing for many families. A portrait.
What is the Wellcome program?
When your baby is here, the joy is great. Sometimes, however, the frustration is overwhelming, for example when the baby screams and screams and the parents no longer know what to do. In such cases, the first, most difficult but possibly also most important step is to admit your own overwhelm to yourself. For many young families, parents or friends can step in. However, if this is not possible, it is advisable to look for other support services. One of these is the Wellcome program, which is now represented in many cities in Germany.
Voluntary support for young families
In the Wellcome program, volunteers are committed to supporting young families. They step in when, for example, the parents are hopelessly overwhelmed after the birth with the screaming baby or with the new situation as a whole, but also when there is an older sibling and the father perhaps has no vacation left, so that the young mother is completely on her own.
With twins data-contrast="auto"> the offer from Wellcome is of course even more recommended, because double parental happiness also means double parental worries or simply: double overwhelm. As soon as one child sleeps, the other wakes up again. This robs parents of sleep and nerves. In the long run, this takes its toll and makes help – doubly – necessary.
Duration and costs
The Wellcome program can be used for three months during the child's first year of life. During this period, a volunteer usually looks after the family once or twice a week. The offer is not free of charge: a fee of 10 EUR is charged for the initial placement and after that each hour costs up to 5 EUR. But even those who cannot afford this amount do not have to do without help. The Wellcome program always tries to find an individual solution so that no one is left alone in their need.
What exactly happens at Wellcome?
The Wellcome program is intended to guide young parents to be able to manage everyday baby life independently. It therefore provides, in a sense, help for self-help. Being a parent brings many new challenges that require many new skills. The Wellcome program wants to help develop these skills. The Wellcome staff support, encourage, and give valuable advice. They show parents how they can tackle this or that problem and take loving care of the baby while the mom perhaps finally takes a long-awaited shower. Or they play with the sibling when the young mother needs time for the baby again. They go for walks with the baby, accompany to doctor's visits or simply listen and encourage.
Even if the offer can only be used during the first year of life of the youngest child, siblings who are already older are also included.
The Wellcome project is represented about 250 times in Germany, but it is also active in Austria and Switzerland.
So if you feel that your baby is presenting you with unsolvable problems or that the task is getting way over your head, you should see if the Wellcome project is also represented in your area. This support can bring about a turning point in stressful or critical phases!
By the way
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The swing2sleep has already helped thousands of parents and babies. See for yourself. With just one click, you can test our swing2sleep automatic baby hammock for one month.
