Mama Held: Every Child has the Right to Family

»I carry my children in my heart!«

Like no other, Kerstin Held has a knack for making children happy, children who would otherwise not stand a chance. The now 44 year-old provides foster children with a familiar home – often in the face of considerable obstacles. Kerstin Held is 25 years old as she takes in her first handicapped foster child, a step for which there has yet to be a legal provision in the year 2000. Taking in foster son Sascha becomes a precedent and paves the way for the interim ruling which is still in effect today. Kerstin Held becomes an indefatigable fighter for the cause of inclusion and equal rights for handicapped foster children, eventually grappling with rampant bureaucracy, an ambiguous legal situation and many prejudices. As a foster mother, Kerstin Held has taken in twelve children to date, ten of which are severely handicapped.

In “Every Child has the Right to Family”, Kerstin Held depicts her rocky road to “Mama Held” and present Chairwoman of the Federal Association for Handicapped Foster Children. Kerstin Held is committed to achieving a greater lobby for handicapped foster children with all her might.