Early childhood intervention from a distance—opportunities and challenges in supporting psychosocially stressed families in the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

As of spring 2020, contact-restricting measures were necessary to contain the incidence of infection with the SARS-CoV‑2 virus in Germany. However, these restrictions posed particular challenges to families, especially families in high-stress situations. This paper examines how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the life of families and if long-term support in the context of early childhood intervention could be continued. The following analyses are based on qualitative research with psychosocially stressed mothers of young children, two surveys of health professionals who provide long-term support to families in early childhood intervention, and a survey of municipal actors who are responsible for the management and implementation of early childhood intervention in German communities. During the pandemic, families in high-stress conditions report existential fears and general overstrain. Intrafamilial conflicts seem to increase. Home visits in the context of long-term psychosocial support were initially primarily replaced by phone calls, video calls or other forms of “support from a distance.” During the course of the pandemic, many professionals have begun conducting home visiting again, but several elements of support from a distance continue to be used as a supplement. Due to the pandemic-related additional burdens on the families who were accompanied by early childhood intervention, the continuation of support was even more important than it already was. Having been tested by necessity during the pandemic, several formats of support from a distance may have the potential to complement the usual assistance provided by health professionals in early childhood intervention and thus contribute to its quality development push.