Successful launch of the pilot project “heki – inclusive daycare centers in Hesse”

On June 24, 2024, the kick-off symposium for the pilot project “heki – Hessische Kindertagesstätten inklusiv” took place in Frankfurt’s Haus am Dom.
More than 150 people took part digitally and in person.
During the opening ceremony, State Secretary Manuela Strube emphasized “We are aware that everyday life in daycare centres is influenced by a lack of specialists, heterogeneous teams and social developments. In order to always keep an eye on equal opportunities and give all children the chance to grow up in a healthy environment, it is more important than ever that we do not ignore this issue and work together to find inclusive solutions.”
The project was presented at the start of the opening symposium.
The welcome address by State Secretary Manuela Strube was followed by presentations by Daniel Kieslinger (Deputy Managing Director BVkE & Project Manager Inclusion Now!), Miriam Zeleke (Commissioner for Participation and Promotion of Children of the State of Hesse) and Laura Wurzel (BEP Multiplier for Module 3/Inclusion).
The presentations were followed by various exchange formats, which were held both digitally and in person.
Participants were able to actively contribute and exchange ideas.
The ideas developed here will be taken into further consideration in the course of the project.
The perspective of Hessian daycare children on how a good daycare center can be designed for all children was collected in cooperation with a daycare center that has received an award for inclusion and introduced into the discourse.
This also marked the start of the expression of interest process for participation in the pilot project as a model daycare center, which you can find more information on here.