Children's Village "The Good Hand" Biesfeld

The Catholic foundation Die Gute Hand was founded in 1961 by Prelate Jakob Holl with the aim of supporting disadvantaged children. After several years of construction, the Heilpädagogisches Kinderdorf Biesfeld and the special school for educational assistance (now the Förderschule Die Gute Hand) were opened on October 1, 1968. The Heilpädagogisches Kinderdorf Biesfeld is both the main facility and the starting point for the development of the entire range of child, youth and integration support services offered by the "Die Gute Hand" foundation.

In the early years, pioneering work was carried out by the Missionary Dominican Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Today, the name of the building Haus der Dominikanerinnen, the former residential building of the sisters with access to the chapel of St. Adelheid, is a reminder of their work.

Over the years, the foundation has developed into Kürten's largest employer with several facilities for children, young people and integration assistance in the Bergisches Land/Cologne/Leverkusen area. These facilities support children, young people and adults with complex mental, emotional and social support needs and families on their way to leading as self-determined a life as possible.

The Gute Hand family comprises more than 650 employees. It recognizes, supports and opens up prospects for around 1,000 people every year. Its work focuses on attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD), autism spectrum disorders (ASD), eating disorders, speech impairments, attachment disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The employees are guided in their work by a basic Christian attitude that includes respect for each individual person. In addition, their work is based on the pillars of care, family and relative work, education and treatment.

The Good Hand Foundation helps people at all stages of life.  It reaches out to them to support them on their journey and the individual challenges that come with it, and to help them cope with the developmental tasks of everyday life with a zest for life. An inclusive approach is taken here.

The services include

•    a family center
•    a wide range of outpatient services and a diagnostic and therapeutic outpatient clinic
•    a riding therapy center and other animal-assisted activity-based services
•    two parent-child facilities
•    a special school with a focus on emotional and social development and
•  the Flex-Fernschule NRW for obtaining school-leaving qualifications outside the regular schoolsystem
•    a supervised work program
•    Curative education day groups
•    Various residential groups and living arrangements for children and young people
•    Shared flats and forms of accommodation for adults with autistic disabilities