Magdeburg (dpa/sa) - In Saxony-Anhalt, the number of procedures for assessing a possible risk to the welfare of children has more than doubled within almost ten years. While the youth welfare offices initiated a total of 5036 procedures last year, in 2012 there were still 2315 procedures. This emerges from the response of the state government to a small request from the left-wing faction. The deputy Monika Hohmann (left) called for more staff for the youth welfare offices and more investment in youth work.
The suspicion was not confirmed in every case. During the assessment, the youth welfare offices in 2021 determined that there was an acute risk to the welfare of the child in 686 cases and a latent risk in 638 cases. In 2125 cases there was no endangerment of the child's welfare, but a need for help was identified. In 1,587 cases, the examination revealed neither a child endangerment nor a need for help.
For the left faction, the increased numbers are evidence of greater sensitivity among the population, in schools and in daycare centers. "It's better to report more than once too little," said Hohmann of the German Press Agency on Friday.
The member of parliament called for more staff for the youth welfare offices to process cases and more offers for young people in rural areas. According to Hohmann, an area factor in youth work now intended by the state government comes much too late. Your group has been calling for this for years.
The black-red-yellow coalition wants to distribute the funds for child and youth work in the future based on an area factor. This means that it is no longer just the number of children and young people that counts, but also the size of the area in the municipalities.
