Certification
Good holidays for children with “OK für Kids”: Children want to have fun - and parents want them to be safe
When parents send their children on holiday alone, they want them to have the very best. Following the request of TÜV NORD CERT, the German Association for the Protection of Children (Deutscher Kinderschutzbund) has now drafted criteria for children's holidays within the framework of "OK for Kids" certification. Up to now, "OK für Kids" has primarily been concerned with hotels and leisure parks, but in future holiday companies and tour operators can also apply for certification under the scheme. In order to align the new and independent test procedure as well as possible with the target group, the ones who really matter were asked for their opinion: the children. They really know what great holidays without parents should be like.
"Weightlifting" says Ludwig (12), when asked what he would like to do when on holiday. On the other hand, Marie (13) thinks that "shopping" is very important. And boys and girls also differ when it comes to what to eat and drink. Boys more often prefer steak and cola, while girls like fish and milk shakes. But both boys and girls agree on one thing: television is not essential. And mobile phones should only be used in emergencies. "It really is amazing how different children's ideas are from those of adults", says Friedhelm Güthoff, Managing Director of the Association for the Protection of Children in North Rhine-Westphalia. "So it is also essential to let children contribute their own wishes and ideas and allow them their own perspective, in order to make the criteria for holidays certified by "OK for Kids" really child-friendly. And - in special workshops - fathers and mothers are also asked what is important to them when it comes to children's holidays. What they want most of all is that their children should be safe and well looked after. The parents' concerns are taken very seriously by TÜV NORD CERT and the Association when developing the certification criteria. Certified holiday companies and tour operators may only employ trained supervisory staff who pay the greatest possible attention to the rights of the children. And regular unannounced inspections make sure that they are fulfilling their duty of care. " The "OK for Kids" scheme provides the basis for ensuring that parents can place their children in good hands. Prevention is here much better than cure", says Friedhelm Güthoff.
25 girls and boys aged between 7 and 13 took part in the "child expert" workshop. At the end they confidently presented their results to representatives of the press. And as a special bonus, each child received free tickets for the swimming pool and ice-cream vouchers. If only taking part in decisionmaking were always so rewarding ...
About TÜV NORD Group
With more than 10,000 employees, TÜV NORD Group is one of the largest technical service providers in Germany. It also operates in over 70 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The Group owes its leading market position to its technical competence and a broad range of advisory, service, and testing services in the Mobility, Industrial Services, International, Natural Resources and Training and Human Resources fields. TÜV NORD Group is firmly committed to its guiding principle and watchword: "Making our world safer".
www.tuev-nord.de
About OK für Kids
With OK für Kids, for the first time in Germany there is an independent quality mark for child-friendly services and products - for "If the child-friendly seal is outside, it is child-friendly inside". The mark was developed by TÜV NORD CERT and Deutschen Kinderschutzbund Landesverband NRW e.V.
www.okfuerkids.de
About Kinderschutzbund NRW
The German Association for the Protection of Children (Kinderschutzbund) in NRW (DKSB-NRW) is currently the largest regional organisation of the Association in Germany, with 103 local and district branches. 13,000 members support the work of protecting children in NRW (50,000 members throughout Germany). In NRW, 540 salaried specialists and around 3,000 volunteers work in the various locations. DKSB-NRW has set itself the goal of supporting and achieving implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in all areas affecting children and young people. It offers help to children and families in many situations, takes part in political discussions and provides impetus to the expert public. DKSB-NRW holds the DZI (German Central Institute for Social Matters) seal awarded to trustworthy charitable and social causes.
www.dksb-nrw.de
Contact for this press release:
TÜV NORD Group
Rainer Camen Telephone +49 (0)201 825-2331, Fax -2559
Mail: 
pressetuev-nord.de
Web: www.tuev-nord.de/presse
Friedhelm Güthoff, Managing Director of Deutschen Kinderschutzbund LV NRW e.V.
Hofkamp 102,
42103 Wuppertal
Mobile: +49 (0)1577 / 14 77 348
E-Mail : infodksb-nrw.de
Internet: www.dksb-nrw.de