Kommunales Integrationsmanagement NRW
Ministerium für Kinder, Jugend, Familie, Gleichstellung, Flucht und Integration des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen
Ministerium für Kinder, Jugend, Familie, Gleichstellung, Flucht und Integration des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen

Integration course and childcare are compatible.

“My son and I have received an incredible amount of support here in North Rhine-Westphalia since we fled. Thank you to everyone who has taken away so many of my uncertainties. My language course structure enables me to take care of my career and be there for my son at the same time.”

As a single parent, success is sometimes defined differently. This is also the case for Ukrainian Natalija Tsyrul. Her war-traumatised son had just started school, but he couldn’t stay without his mother. He needed to become less fearful for her to be able to push ahead with his integration.

Nataliia Tsyrul is happy that she can now attend a German course. She comes from the region west of Mariupol. When they arrived in Duisburg in June 2022, mother and son had not only fled the city that had been captured and occupied by the Russian army. During the attack they were not together, but in different locations. Separation anxiety and being triggered by anything that could be understood as a siren or the noise of war meant that the seven-year-old could not be without his mother. 

Nataliia Tsyrul is happy to be able to attend a German course. One step closer to arriving.

When Nataliia Tsyrul came to the advice centre in Duisburg-Mitte in January 2023, she was sceptical about whether or not she would find understanding for her life situation. Case manager Anastasiya Pirronello quickly realised that you support the mother if you help the child first. Therefore, together they found a place in child psychotherapy and enrolled the son at a community primary school in the neighbourhood. This demonstrated once again what single parenthood without a network means: there was no contact person in case the mother could not be reached or could not come to pick up her son.

Small steps to success. Nataliia Tsyrul’s son can now attend school regularly on his own. The mother is learning German eagerly and freely. She has found a place of learning that suits her life situation at the Evangelisches Bildungswerk (EBW) of the Duisburg church district. Here, parents can find childcare for their child if required. Michelle Velroyen, Head of the Integration Department, explains: “We think about the compatibility of family and integration courses. That’s why the courses are held outside the holiday period, for example. The three-day parenting courses allow enough time to deal with the authorities and other necessary appointments. This leads to lower absenteeism and drop-out rates.” 

Nataliia Tsyrul has two goals: build up a sustainable network and find work quickly in her new home. She will use her technical training and work at the local water supplier in Ukraine to achieve this. 

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