Bundestag strengthens all-day youth work during school holidays

With the entry into force of the All-Day Support Act (GaFöG), the requirement can also be met during the school holidays by providing youth work services in accordance with Section 11 of Book VIII of the German Social Code (SGB VIII) offered by a public organisation or a recognised independent youth welfare organisation. In the view of the Bundesjugendring, this makes it possible not to limit education and care during the holidays to school, but to provide children with new spaces for recreation, self-organisation and participation. Children can thus organise their leisure activities according to their own interests and needs - an important contribution to democratic, social and cultural participation.

The Bundesjugendring expects the federal states to make use of the new opportunities in the interests of the children concerned when further shaping the implementation of the GaFöG, which comes into force on 1 August this year, without the expansion of all-day schooling being at the expense of child and youth work services. The proven quality of child and youth work programmes must also be ensured.