How We Support Children, Adolescents, and Families

Our work focuses on the health and age-appropriate development of children and adolescents from birth through age 18, as well as providing counseling to their legal guardians.

Our services are generally available to all children and adolescents. In addition, we provide counseling and support specifically to children and adolescents with disabilities, those at risk of developing a disability, and those who are health- or socially disadvantaged, as well as their guardians.

This specialty serves as a vital link between medicine, child day care, schools, and youth and social services. Our responsibilities include health promotion and prevention; pediatric, adolescent, and social-medical counseling and assessment; and participation in child health protection.

Our goal is to support the healthy development of children and adolescents, identify health or developmental support needs at an early stage, provide professional advice to guardians, and, when necessary, identify appropriate support and assistance programs.

Our services and responsibilities include:

• Pre-school health examinations to assess the health and developmental status of children before they start school, as well as counseling for legal guardians. If necessary, this also includes addressing issues related to early school enrollment.
• Medical expert opinions commissioned by other specialized and interdisciplinary agencies, for example, in the context of integration assistance.
• Counseling for guardians following pediatric and adolescent medical examinations in the field of child and adolescent health.
• Conducting the state’sspeech-language therapy day (§114 of the Lower Saxony School Act).
• Vaccination counseling in accordance with the current recommendations of the Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO), excluding travel vaccinations.
• Counseling on health and social-pediatric issues, such as abnormalities or disorders in child development.
• Counseling on early intervention measures as well as other appropriate support and assistance measures.
• Networking, including in the areas of child health protection and early intervention.
• Free counseling as part of child health protection services.

• Sending informational materials and a toothbrush to all 6-month-old children
• Examinations of 2-year-old children and counseling for parents at the public health department. The children receive a free dental care kit
• Screening examinations at daycare centers and schools through 6th grade (special education schools through 10th grade)
• Group preventive care in daycare centers (including nurseries) and schools up to 6th grade (special education schools up to 10th grade). The children receive a free toothbrush
• Tooth enamel strengthening through fluoride varnish application in elementary schools
• Information sessions for kindergarten and school staff, as well as for parents
• Events for National Dental Health Day and participation in the “Healthy Teeth” Working Group (AGZ)
• For daily brushing at daycare centers, we provide each child with 4 toothbrushes per year, toothpaste, and a cup

In addition:

• Examinations,
• evaluations, and
• recommendations (applications for dental prosthetics) for municipal specialized services

Guardians of children who are about to reach school age can conveniently book appointments for the pre-school health examination online starting in mid-September. With the introduction of a centralized, personalized registration portal, the city of Salzgitter is streamlining the process and providing greater flexibility in scheduling.

Previously, families received the examination dates by post and had to coordinate changes by telephone with the Child and Adolescent Health Department of the health authority.

With the new system, the process is now much more modern: in the invitation letter sent out by the specialist service for the school enrolment examination, families are contacted according to their children's date of birth. This letter contains a personal booking code that custodians can use in the online portal to select their preferred date within a specified period. Changes or cancelations can also be made independently. It is also possible to upload personal documents.

The aim is to make it easier for families to organize their school enrolment. The digital appointment system allows families to plan their daily routine better.
The school entry examination is required by law and checks the child's vision, hearing, speech development, motor skills and general health as part of a medical examination. The results provide important information as to whether a child needs support when starting school.

For families without internet access, appointments can still be made by telephone.

Families with children who are known to the public health department and who have an increased need for support will be contacted by the public health department as usual to arrange an appointment.