SPZ and Early Intervention in Frankfurt: Two Social Pediatric Centers, a Pediatrician's Stamp, and Where Frühförderung Fits In

When a Pediatrician Says “Maybe a SPZ”

Most developmental questions end at the pediatrician, with a check, a wait-and-see or a prescription for speech or occupational therapy. Some do not. A child who is much later than expected in speaking or moving, who has seizures, severe sleeping and feeding problems from the first months, or a suspected autism spectrum condition may be sent on to a Sozialpädiatrisches Zentrum, usually shortened to SPZ.

The law explains the role. § 119 SGB V says that a SPZ treats the children who cannot be treated by suitable doctors or in suitable Frühförderstellen because of the nature, severity or duration of their illness. The centre is run under constant medical leadership and must work closely with both doctors and Frühförderstellen. The SPZ Frankfurt Mitte puts it plainly: it is a medical institution, not a pedagogical one, so it takes children with a medical diagnosis or a suspicion of one.

The Two SPZ in Frankfurt

Some clinics inside the centres have their own phone lines, so check the page of the one you are sent to. The SPZ Frankfurt Mitte lists a contact page with opening hours of Monday to Thursday, 8:00 to 17:00 on that page, and phone hours of 9:00 to 11:00 and 14:00 to 16:00 Monday to Thursday, Friday 10:00 to 11:00 on the registration page.

How Registration Works

1. Pediatrician firstTalk to your Kinderarzt. Teachers, nursery staff and therapists can suggest a visit, but the Höchst centre asks you to go through the pediatrician, who decides whether a SPZ makes sense.
2. QuestionnaireDownload the parent questionnaire from the centre (there is a version for babies up to 9 months at Mitte). The pediatrician completes a marked field or stamps it, and the parents sign.
3. Send it inPost it or email it as a PDF, with earlier findings. The Höchst centre sends a confirmation of receipt by email.
4. Wait for the replyMitte answers within 2 to 4 weeks, Höchst invites you by post when a slot is free. An urgent medical question should be passed on by the pediatrician.
5. The appointmentBring the referral slip, the yellow U-Heft, the Mutterpass for babies, findings and recent school reports.

The Höchst centre says registrations can only be processed with the doctor’s stamp or a copy of the referral, and that longer waits are currently to be expected for non-urgent questions. If you have no pediatrician yet in Frankfurt, our guide to finding a Kinderarzt or Hausarzt and the page on an English-speaking pediatrician help with step one.

Cost

According to the flyer of the SPZ Frankfurt Mitte, its services are in principle free of charge on the pediatrician’s referral. The Höchst centre also asks for the referral slip at the appointment. If you have private health insurance, ask your insurer what is covered.

Frühförderung: The Other Door

Frühförderung is a separate system, for preschool children, and it is often the better match when the main issue is a developmental delay without a medical diagnosis. The city of Frankfurt explains that when a disability or a substantial developmental delay is found in a preschool child, special educational support can be useful or necessary in addition to therapies prescribed by the health insurance. Any child can be presented to a Frühförderstelle for assessment under SGB IX.

How it runs in Frankfurt:

• First contact. KESS im Zentrum offers an open, free, non-binding consultation without a referral and promises a first appointment within 4 weeks.
• Application. The Frühförderstelle helps with the application. It goes, together with the support and treatment plan, to the Sozialrathaus, and in some cases the city invites the family to the Gesundheitsamt for a medical examination first. Bring the U-Heft, vaccination record, medical papers and a statement of your pediatrician.
• Cost for parents. The vae Frühförderstelle in Rödelheim states that its services are free for parents after an approved application with a medical order. It works with children from infancy up to school entry.
• End point. KESS notes that support ends at the latest with school entry, because the city can no longer bear the treatment costs then.

Frühförderstellen also work with nurseries. The Höchst SPZ says that its team cooperates with Frühförderstellen, schools, kindergartens, therapists and authorities. If your child will soon start school and you worry about readiness, see our page on postponing the school start.

Which Door Fits

Step by Step

1. Write down what you observe, with dates and examples, and bring the yellow U-Heft to the pediatrician.
2. Ask whether a SPZ or Frühförderung fits, and get the stamp on the questionnaire.
3. Send the registration with all earlier findings, and note the date.
4. Follow up by phone or email after 4 weeks if you hear nothing from Mitte.
5. For preschool children, book a free first consultation at a Frühförderstelle in parallel.
6. Keep every report, because you will need them again for the Sozialrathaus or later for school.

Compliance Note

This guide summarises § 119 SGB V and the pages of SPZ Frankfurt Mitte, Klinikum Frankfurt Höchst, the City of Frankfurt, KESS im Zentrum and the vae as read in October 2026. Waiting times, forms and responsibilities change, and it is not medical advice. Ask your pediatrician about your child’s situation and confirm current details with the centre.