Federal Youth Council publishes statement on the 1st KJHSRG

At the centre of the statement, the DBJR calls for the reform to be consistently geared towards the realities of young people's lives. The DBJR shares the view that a functioning child and youth welfare system is of great social and constitutional importance. At the same time, it emphasises that young people are currently growing up under conditions of multiple crises and that every reform project must be measured by whether it addresses their actual needs, strengthens and supports them. Against this backdrop, the DBJR is calling for a clear political signal of trust and a stronger commitment to the rights of young people - in particular taking full account of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Against this background, a well-equipped child and youth welfare system is a necessary investment in society's future.

As the DBJR, we fundamentally welcome the aim of the draft bill to make child and youth welfare more inclusive and to bring together responsibility for all young people - with and without disabilities. At the same time, we warn against prioritising necessary reforms from the point of view of cost reduction.

Daniela Broda, Chairwoman of the Federal Youth Council

Measures to reduce bureaucracy and improve demarcation can be useful, but must not be at the expense of young people. The DBJR is particularly critical of the fact that individual regulations contradict the formulated goal of more participation and equal opportunities by prioritising cost-cutting logic. Instead, it calls for investment in the structural expansion of needs-orientated and preventative child and youth welfare services in order to avoid higher social costs in the long term and to amend the draft bill accordingly.

The full text of the DBJR statement can be found here.