Schwerin (dpa/mv) - To a certain extent, at the last minute, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has transferred the reform of guardianship and care law decided by the federal government into state law. The changes will come into effect on January 1, 2023. In the final debate, speakers from the opposition factions in the state parliament on Wednesday accused the Ministry of Social Affairs of having knitted the changes to the law with a hot needle. They also complained that the care associations had insufficient financial resources.
"For a federal state that is aging as rapidly as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the state government's draft law is a disaster," stated Anne Shepley of the Greens. Due to the demographic development, more and more people in the north-east would need help. Affected families would then have to fight their way through a jungle of bureaucracy in order to be able to claim support from care associations.
Criticism also came from the Parity Welfare Association. "The care associations in the state had hoped that their financing would finally be placed on a secure and solid basis. "But the law passed in the state parliament today does not provide for any security, but continues to provide for financing according to the budget situation," complained Paul Weier, board member of the association. Care associations would therefore have to continue to fear for their existence, although they had a legal right to adequate funding for their compulsory tasks.
According to Weier, care associations take on tasks of general interest that would otherwise have to be taken over by the care authorities. Volunteer supervisors would relieve the public sector, which would otherwise have to use significantly more expensive professional supervisors. But the state only grants the 35 care associations in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania an average of 5,500 euros a year.
As Social Affairs Minister Stefanie Drese (SPD) said, 150,000 euros were available annually to support the recognized care associations in the past. In the budget for 2023, the sum was increased to 200,000 euros. However, before the double budget for 2024/25 is drawn up, the need for a further increase should be examined. The core concern of the new care law is the stronger emphasis on personal responsibility and self-determination of those to be cared for and ensuring the quality of care.
