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Early help; application for a grant from the Federal Foundation for Early Help

The Bundesstiftung Frühe Hilfen (Federal Foundation for Early Help) supports early help networks throughout Germany as well as services and measures for psychosocial support for expectant parents and families with small children.

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The Federal Foundation for Early Intervention supports the Early Intervention Networks and provides psychosocial support for families with infants and young children.

The Federal Foundation supports the Early Help Networks financially via a fund from which you, as a provider in the field of Early Help, can apply for funding. In particular, personnel and material costs are supported.

In funding area I, your measures to ensure the network structures in early help can be funded:

  • Deployment of network coordinators in the coordination centers
  • Network meetings and cross-sector events
  • Coordinating activities in the area of outreach support
  • Qualification and further training of network coordinators and network partners
  • Documentation and evaluation of network processes
  • Public relations work

In funding area II, your measures for the psychosocial support of families through specific services can be funded.

1. longer-term support for professionals:

  • Deployment of professionals working in the health-oriented support of families (GFB) in the context of early help
  • for professionals working in the GFB:
    • Qualification
    • further training
    • coordination
    • Specialist advice
    • supervision
  • Reimbursement of expenses for the participation of professionals working in the GFB in networking activities
  • Quality assurance measures such as the documentation of the GFB

2. longer-term support for volunteers in the context of early help:

Quality assurance for the deployment of volunteers

  • Coordination and specialist support for volunteers by full-time professionals
  • Training and qualification of coordinators and volunteers
  • Travel costs incurred when deploying volunteers
  • Reimbursement of expenses for the participation of coordinators and volunteers in networking activities

3. offers and services at the interfaces of the various social benefit systems:

  • Pilot systems for parents that:
    • smooth the transition between support services from different providers
    • clarify the support needs of families in as interdisciplinary a manner as possible
    • arrange early help services
  • Quality assurance measures for the services and training for the professionals involved at the interfaces between the care systems
  • Measures for the structural integration of stakeholders and institutions, particularly from the healthcare sector, as part of interprofessional cooperation
  • Services that provide low-threshold access for families in difficult circumstances and open the door to early help services

You can make use of additional services in funding area III:

  • the implementation of model projects of early help that have already proven successful
  • the testing of innovative measures

Under certain conditions, further projects can be funded at your discretion.

You are a provider in the field of early help.

You must meet the following minimum requirements to secure the early help networks (funding area I):

  • professionally qualified coordination of the network work
  • Agreement on quality standards for reliable intersectoral cooperation in the network and procedures for concrete cooperation at family level
  • Implementation and coordination of regular network meetings
  • Support in the participatory further development of local early help services, based on the needs of families
  • Objectives and measures of the network work are based on youth welfare planning and include health and social planning wherever possible

In order to provide psychosocial support for families through specific early help services (funding area II), the following minimum requirements must be met in the area of activities with professionals:

  • The deployment of professionals is integrated into an early help network
  • Professionals working in the health-oriented support of families (GFB)
    • have a qualification in accordance with the "Minimum requirements for the qualification of family midwives and family health and pediatric nurses" developed by the National Center for Early Intervention (NZFH) in cooperation with the federal states
    • or they are qualified accordingly
  • Competencies of the professionals working in the GFB are based on the respective competency profile published by the NZFH
  • Professional connection to a multi-professional team as part of the municipal service

In order to provide psychosocial support to families through specific early help services (funding area II), the following minimum requirements must be met in the area of activities with volunteers:

  • Integration of the volunteers into an early help network
  • Full-time support from specifically trained professionals
  • Quality assurance at the interfaces to professional work and further assistance

In order to provide psychosocial support for families through specific early help services (funding area II), the following minimum requirements must be met in the area of services at the interfaces of the various social benefit systems:

  • The concept of pilot services relies on specialists who offer information, advice or personal support and refer expectant families or families with infants and young children to early help or, if necessary, to other help systems.

Testing innovative measures and implementing successful models:

  • the gaps in care for children from families in stressful circumstances, which the conventional care systems cannot cover due to their logics, are closed by innovative approaches
  • the measure is set out in a concept and subsequently evaluated in a comprehensible manner
  • the measure must be designed as a pilot project and be limited in time
  • there may also be specific requirements in your federal state

  • Required Documents

    When submitting the application:

    • Application with
      • Description of the measures in the countries and municipalities where the offer is to take place
      • Target group of the measures
      • an itemized presentation of the costs with
        • financing plan
        • List of personnel costs

    After project completion:

    • Proof of use

The procedure is aimed at local authorities and providers and is handled by the relevant state coordination offices.

As an early help provider, you can apply for funding from the responsible local authority or the federal state.

How to apply:

  • You can apply for funding from the Federal Foundation for Early Help online.
  • To apply, complete the application via the online portal. A description of the measures and a financing plan must be submitted with the application.
  • The state coordination office will check the form and content of your application and request any missing documents.
  • If the decision is positive, you will receive a grant notification.
  • If the decision is negative, you will receive a rejection notice.

Payment:

  • The grant awarded will be paid out in accordance with the application and in accordance with the provisions of the grant notification.
  • If you waive your right to appeal by submitting the "Declaration on the Grant Notification", you will receive the funding immediately.

Verification of use of funds:

  • To prove the use of funds, you must submit a proof of use including numerical evidence.
  • The proof of use will be checked by your responsible state coordination office.
  • If there are any objections, you may be required to repay any grants awarded, even if they have already been spent. This may be the case if the measure is overfinanced or the funds have not been used for the intended purpose. On-site inspections are possible in individual cases in accordance with the grant notification.

There are no costs.

You must submit your application to the federal states from August 1 to December 31 of the previous year.

The federal states submit the proof of use for the respective previous year to the office of the Federal Foundation for Early Intervention by July 31.

The following information is available:

The Early Help measures are approved within the framework of the funds available to the federal states from the Federal Foundation for Early Help.

Status: 04.02.2026
Editorially responsible for prodecure description: Bundesministerium für Bildung, Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend + Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Familie, Arbeit und Soziales
Source: Federal Portal
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