Description and Stations

You will find Sonnenstrahlen on the road between Frohnhausen and Haarzopf.

It is a 2-minute drive from the Wickenburg exit on the A40 motorway. From the Haarzopf exit on the A52 motorway, it is 5 minutes. You can park briefly in front of the door to drop off or pick up your child.

As Sonnenstrahlen is located right on the Mühlbachtal, it takes just 5 minutes to cycle to the hospital or Mülheim, for example.

The bus stop is called Südwestfriedhof-Haupteingang and can be reached with line 147.

Introduction/specifics

My name is Yvonne Krebs-Habermann, I was born in 1975 and have a 28-year-old daughter. I live with my husband, our cat and our dog in Haarzopf. In my free time, I often enjoy walking in the woods with our dog, reading or meeting up with friends. For over a year now, I have also been spending a lot of time in our allotment garden, which I also use with the Sonnenstrahlenkinder (Sunshine Children).

Before I started with my own Sonnenstrahlen, I worked in a nursery for 21 years, 19 of which were in inclusive education. There, I looked after children with various special needs, such as early childhood autism, brittle bone disease, trisomy 21, epilepsy, but also multiple severe disabilities or developmental delays. During this long period, I realised how important it is for me to work directly with children. Unfortunately, this work is neglected in large groups, so I decided to switch to childcare. I provide intensive support and stimulation for five Sonnenstrahlen aged between 10 months and 4 years, including children with special needs. I am delighted to be there as they gain their first experiences outside the family in a small and safe environment. In 2018, I successfully completed the certified further training course ‘Inclusion for Childcare Providers’.

Rooms

The children can move around and play freely in a 61 square metre space. We have a large room with a separate sleeping and nappy-changing area at the back.

- Play area

- Dining area

- Doll's corner

- Building carpet

- Reading corner

- Space to run around

- Craft area

The children sleep in sleeping baskets, in a sleeping bag and with a cuddly toy they have brought with them.

Outdoor Facilities

In front of Sonnenstrahlen, there is a park-like green space within walking distance, a small forest, and at the rear, there is a small sandpit in the green area belonging to Sonnenstrahlen.

Daily Schedule

7:00–9:00 a.m. Drop-off time/free play

9:00–9:15 a.m. Morning circle

9:15–9:45 a.m. Breakfast

09:45-11:30 Free play/seasonal activities/going outside/nappy changing

11:30-12:00 Lunch

12:00-14:00 Sleep or rest

14:30 Snack

14:45-16:00 Free play/pick-up time

Food

The Sonnenstrahlen will eat three meals together.

Breakfast consists of wholemeal bread, and the Sonnenstrahlen can decide for themselves whether they want to top it with cheese or sausage. There is always a selection of fruit and raw vegetables to go with it.

I cook lunch every day using seasonal and regional ingredients. I will offer vegetarian dishes three times a week, a meat dish once a week and fish once a week.

Snacks will consist of fruit or raw vegetables, homemade quark or sometimes a biscuit.

The Sonnenstrahlen quench their thirst with water and are allowed to drink whenever they are thirsty.

It is important to me that the Sonnenstrahlen are allowed to try everything and then decide whether they like it or not.

In order to be considerate of all cultures, there is no pork at the Sonnenstrahlen. If one of the children has an allergy or intolerance, they are offered an alternative.

After lunch, all the sunbeams go to brush their teeth. This is very important to me because it teaches the children that oral hygiene is part of everyday life and that brushing their teeth is a matter of course.

Basics

It is important to me that every ray of sunshine is picked up where it is. Here, I want to focus on each child individually and give them support when they need it. In a protected environment, the rays should playfully learn and experience their first boundaries and structures. They should have the freedom to develop individually and feel protected and safe in the process. I want to give every ray of sunshine the opportunity to develop at their own pace and without pressure.

My educational work is based on Jesper Juul's educational approach and the situation-oriented approach.

Working according to Juul's approach plays an important role in my work. Juul assumes that every child is just as socially and emotionally competent as an adult from birth. Children do not learn competence through education but already possess it. They learn through imitation. They have to observe and try things out in order to fit into a culture. I want to live out Juul's assumption that children are inherently social and do not have to learn this in my work with the little rays of sunshine.

For me and my work, the situation-oriented approach means perceiving the child with his or her needs and interests and responding to them. The aim is for the child to grow into an independent, thinking, acting and feeling personality. Current topics that are important to the child at the moment, such as the birth of a sibling, are brought to the fore by looking at a book that addresses the topic in a child-friendly way. The child should feel accepted and understood. They can live out their current interests in play.

Language is also an important part of my work and is practised together with the Sonnenstrahlen in everyday life.

We will also offer activities and projects. Everyday life is varied and offers the Sonnenstrahlen new opportunities to try out their creativity.

Additional Offerings

We Sonnenstrahlen have the opportunity to

- receive a visit from a therapy dog with a dog trainer

- enjoy nature in the nearby forest and park-like grounds.

Quality Assurance

I attend private training courses offered by Diakoniewerk Essen. I also regularly refresh my knowledge of first aid for children and food hygiene, and am supported by a specialist advisor from Diakoniewerk Essen. Exchanging ideas with other childminders is also important to me and enriches my work.

In 2018, I successfully completed the certificate course ‘Inclusion for Childcare Providers’. I then went on to complete three further certificate courses to become a

specialist in integration education, a specialist in early childhood development counselling and

a specialist in early childhood education for children under three.

Cooperations

I am in close contact with several childminders who are also located not far from us.

I have a partnership with the St. Augustinus Catholic Children's and Family Centre nursery.

I also regularly exchange ideas with other childminders who also look after children with special needs.

Teamwork with parents

Working with parents is very important to me, because parents are the experts when it comes to their children. To facilitate communication, I offer daily informal chats at the door, as well as a parent-teacher conference without the child every six months. The portfolio and the Gabip development chart form the basis for these discussions. Working in partnership with parents is particularly important to me. Only by working together can we achieve the best for the child.

I would like to offer parents' evenings on various topics. These could be

-Rituals (e.g. falling asleep, eating)

-Nutrition

-Supportive parenting

-Safety

I would also like specialists such as speech therapists or occupational therapists to organise parents' evenings and inform parents about their area of expertise.

To strengthen the parent community, there will be a parent-child outing once a year. There will also be time for exchange over a cosy cup of coffee at Easter and Christmas.

I would also like to take up the tradition of making lanterns together for St. Martin's Day and the subsequent parade.

Holiday Care

In the event of illness, the Sonnenstrahlen children are looked after by a substitute teacher whom they know well. This is ensured through regular visits.