Angelika Otherwise, this semester I have come a good deal closer to my goal of obtaining the continuing education certificate "Children and the Changing Family" at the University of Berkeley. I took four courses this semester, so I was and am quite busy with work. I particularly enjoyed and benefited from two of the courses. One was about so-called "stepfamilies" and the other about the social services available in California for families with children. The term "stepfamily" might sound somewhat negative to German ears, but it simply means that children from different marriages or relationships live under one roof because their biological parents have divorced or separated. Since, as is well known, every second marriage in the USA ends in divorce, this is a highly relevant topic. The woman who led the course is a family therapist and herself from a "stepfamily." Moreover, she has been married four times and has thus raised her own children and "stepchildren." The course was mainly about learning the normal phases this new family goes through and how to professionally support them to make living together easier. In the USA, there is already a lot of research on this topic, and the course teacher is considered an expert in this regard. What made it so enjoyable was that this woman was not only an excellent teacher but also conveyed the topic with a lot of enthusiasm and conviction. Despite the serious nature of the topic, we laughed a lot, and I retained a lot that I can take with me for my own work. By the way, I think this topic is still far too little considered in Germany, after all, the divorce rates in Germany are not necessarily lower than here.

The course on social services in California provided me with a good overview of the support available for families in California. What makes it so difficult to keep track here is that, although there are federal laws (valid throughout the USA) that regulate general social assistance programs, each state (e.g., California) and even each municipality (e.g., San Francisco County) implements its own programs. Part of the problem is that federal laws only set minimum requirements, which are not sufficient for many states. This is especially true for states considered to be more socially oriented. California is one of these more liberal states. Additionally, California is a wealthy state and is therefore willing to spend more on the socially disadvantaged. However, even in California, there are cuts and savings everywhere, so many effective and preventive programs are no longer funded.

For this course, we had to do very meaningful "assignments" ("homework"). Since the goal was to learn as much as possible about the various social institutions, we had to, for example, gather information about institutions in the neighborhood where we work or live. Another time, we were given a case study in which a mother with three children was homeless. We had to find out what assistance was available for this family in San Francisco. It was not enough to list various institutions; we had to call the individual providers and ask detailed questions, such as how long the waiting time is to get a place at a homeless shelter. Initially, I was skeptical that the relevant providers would even take the time to answer my questions. However, I had consistently positive experiences. People were always very enthusiastic that I, as a foreigner, was taking such a course and patiently answered all questions. A great learning experience. I then wrote my final paper on public special education in the USA, which is education for children who have special educational needs for various reasons (e.g., children with disabilities and behavioral issues). Since many of you in Germany work in this field, I want to quickly provide some information on this. "Special education" in the USA is regulated by a law from 1975, which is summarized by the principle: "No more special than necessary." There are various models to support these children. Some are taught full-time in regular classes and receive additional therapies (e.g., speech therapy), others are integrated into regular classes only part-time and receive special instruction in another classroom with a special education teacher for the rest of the time, and others receive instruction all day in a special class, which is still in the regular school building. Finally, there are private schools for these children, which correspond to our special schools. Although these schools are private, the law stipulates that the public sector must finance the costs of educating the respective children if admission to such an institution is necessary. In summary, one can say that the goal is integration. Whether a child receives special education is decided by a multidisciplinary team of the school authority. The law actually sounds quite promising. Unfortunately, no one thought about who would bear the enormous costs necessary to properly implement this law. Thus, in practice, the integration of these children does not look so rosy. There is a lack of well-trained teachers, and the quality of support again depends heavily on the individual state.

I am also determined to volunteer again in a special class or facility, just to gain a better insight. So, enough about my courses. Just this much: Next semester, I have enrolled in four courses again. However, this time there is also a photography course included. As you can see, there's no chance of me getting bored. After all, I continue to go to the childcare facility volunteering in the Tenderloin twice a week.

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