Introduction/specifics

Our daycare center was inaugurated in 1954 as the first company daycare of the Sachsenwerk (later Robotron) in Saxony, shortly after the war. The design of the buildings and outdoor areas has always been, and continues to be, focused on the needs of the children from the very beginning.

In 1995, the German Red Cross took over the sponsorship of our beautiful facility and is always committed to continuing and expanding the old traditions.

Our daycare center is located in the southern suburbs of Radeberg, near the Dresdner Heide, on the edge of a residential area. Close by are an elementary school, a special needs school, a garden area, and several small businesses.

The daycare consists of three single-story buildings. The spacious outdoor area includes several playgrounds for all age groups. Additionally, in buildings 1 and 2, there is a separate kitchen area. Our food provider is the cafeteria "Zum Pauker." Freshly cooked meals and the consideration of individual allergies of the children are the strengths of the "Pauker-Team."

Our facility offers both nursery and kindergarten places. Children from different nations are cared for by 24 educational staff members and 1 male educational staff member.

The director is responsible for ensuring the smooth daily routine and the organizational matters of the facility. The intake interview and the care contract are handled by the daycare director.

We provide each child with their own settling-in phase. It is carried out gradually, individually, and tailored to each child in line with the Berlin Model.

The educators usually accompany the children in age-homogeneous groups from the settling-in phase until they enter school.

Basics

Educators, like children, are social actors and, together with the community, are responsible for the child's developmental process.

An authentic, appreciative, and dialogical attitude is therefore essential and important for building trust among all individuals involved in the process.

To significantly contribute to the success of interaction processes, trust forms the foundation for the holistic development of the child. In this context, both community and learning from one another characterize the daily interactions in our facility.

The role of the educator is thus closely linked to the image of the child, which does not represent a uniform and rigid concept but depends on the perspective of the educator.

The educator should be seen in their pedagogical work as a "companion and enabler" who creates supportive conditions, is emotionally available, and allows for a gender-conscious approach. Important aspects include both self-determined as well as well-guided and age-specific stimuli.

To specifically promote the individual abilities and skills of a child, observation, documentation, and reflection of educational processes are necessary, as well as professional exchange within the team and with external professionals.

In summary, the role of the educator can be described as collaborative, demanding, supportive, and guiding. The participation of the children is realized through educators and adults.

• those who respect children (image of the child)

• those who are able to design requirements that correspond to the children's life experiences

• those who are willing to relinquish power (reflection)

• those who are ready to engage in open situations (courage and trust)

• those who value mistakes (tolerance for mistakes)

• those who always maintain their responsibility (responsibility)

News

The corresponding annual plan is coordinated with the team members and the parents' council.

Our offerings include, among others:

• Celebrating festivals and highlights (bird wedding, spring festival, DRK family festival, Christmas market)
• Educational projects (Dixieland, airport visit, police orchestra, etc.)
• Swimming course for elementary school children
• Traffic education
• Hairdresser
• Occupational therapy (external)
• Speech therapy (external)
• Music school (external)

Projects

1. Chickens in the Daycare

Our facility also has a chicken coop with a rooster and 6 hens of the Zwerg-Brahma breed.

The animals are mainly cared for and looked after by the responsible educator and the children. On weekends and during holidays, the parents provide support.

• By daily feeding the animals and regularly cleaning the stall and the outdoor coop, the children learn to take responsibility. This also boosts their self-confidence.
• The children develop a connection to food, as the collected eggs can be used, for example, for baking a cake or preparing breakfast.
• Handling the animals increases their body awareness. If a chicken is held too firmly, it clucks and flutters away. The children learn to gauge their strength as they must be gentle when entering the coop and collecting the eggs from the nest.
• For children with a migration background, this provides an opportunity to overcome their language barrier.
• The children also learn about life and death. They observe the life cycle of a chicken, from laying eggs and incubating them to raising chicks to full-grown hens. If a chicken becomes sick and dies, we will say goodbye to it.

2. "Little Garden"

Currently, a kindergarten group under the guidance of an educator uses a garden plot in the neighboring allotment garden. This activity is in collaboration with the KGV Birkenhain e.V. The access is directly from our daycare grounds.

In a peaceful environment, our children can enjoy their fruit break and then help out in the garden. The children actively participate in gardening. They grow their own vegetables and take care of the beds. They practice using "real" gardening tools and are allowed to water the plants with their watering cans.

The focus is on planting, caring for, and harvesting. The children learn about different types of vegetables and fruits and their unique aspects of cultivation. Several times a week, they embark on exciting observation walks. Other groups from our daycare often join the garden visits. The fruits and vegetables are harvested together with the children, processed in the daycare, and eaten.

Overview

In our daycare center, children from the age of 1 can be enrolled from the municipality of Radeberg. In consultation with the social welfare office of the large district town of Radeberg, we also accept children from outside the area.