Fight for children's emergency service: improvements, but still not enough

Fight for children's emergency service: improvements, but still not enough

Title: Improvements in the Berlin children's and youth emergency service according to fire letter

The children's and youth emergency service in Berlin has experienced improvements in the past few months after employees sent a fire letter to family senator Katharina Günther-Lüsch in June. This letter contained alarming charges of lack of personnel, self-injuries and external injuries of children and adolescents, sexual assaults as well as other problematic conditions in the facilities.

Falko Liecke, the Secretary of State State, emphasizes that many positive changes have been introduced since then. Support from trained social workers from the Senate Education Management and additional staff from two other providers have been added. The presence of the police is also questioned and it is sought to solve conflicts pedagogically.

Part of the solution for the space problem in the children's and youth emergency service will be implemented in Rahnsdorf from September. A facility with ten places is opened there to offer young people who are waiting for adequate long -term accommodation. These measures are a response to the increased number of cases of minors in the emergency facilities that increase from year to year.

The child and youth emergency service plays an important role because it catches those affected and offers a temporary solution until sustainable steps can be initiated to improve the situation. It is also planned to open a fourth location that is specially intended for young people between the ages of 13 and 18 who cannot work in the group and need intensive individual care. For this purpose, twelve full -time positions and costs of around 1.5 million euros are planned.

The three emergency services in Berlin- Gitschiner Straße, girls' and youth emergency service in Charlottenburg and the contact and advice center (Kub) in Kreuzberg- offer accommodation and support for minors who flee violence, forced marriage, sexual abuse or other difficult situations. Although there are problems, as described in the fire letter, the facility managers emphasize that they are working hard to ensure a safe environment and sufficient personnel.