20.09.2024
To mark World Children's Day, the German Child Protection Association (Kinderschutzbund) is launching its new campaign, "Who Cares?" With three different designs, the association is drawing attention to the crisis facing childhood and adolescence.
Crisis of childhood and adolescence
"In Germany, there is a shortage of 430,000 daycare places, the investment backlog in schools amounts to 55 billion euros, there is a shortage of midwives and pediatricians, and child poverty has remained at a consistently high level for years.".
No matter where we look: all the systems that children and young people depend on are under enormous pressure. Childhood and youth in Germany are in crisis – and it seems no one really cares,” says Prof. Dr. Sabine Andresen, President of the German Child Protection Association. “We need to set priorities when it comes to providing for the younger generation and the infrastructure they need.”
The crisis needs to become more visible
The German Child Protection Association will make this crisis, which affects almost all children and young people, the focus of its work and will draw attention to the problem both with posters on the street and on the internet.
Highest poverty rate in Bremen
“According to the Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband (Parity Welfare Association) poverty report, Bremen had the highest poverty rate of all German states in 2022, at 29.1%. Children and young people are particularly affected by family poverty. There are shortages everywhere, families are exhausted because the provision of childcare, schools and pediatric medicine is on shaky ground,” says Carsten Schlepper, chairman of the Bremen Child Protection Association.
Childhood should not be ruined by cost-cutting measures
“We demand that the interests of children and young people finally be made a priority – at the federal, state, and local levels. We need effective policies against child poverty. Even though it is becoming increasingly difficult for Bremen to raise the necessary funds, the social infrastructure for children, young people, and families must be sustainably secured in order to mitigate the consequences of social inequality. We must not let childhood be ruined by budget cuts,” said Carsten Schlepper.
Child Protection Association in Bremen
The German Child Protection Association (Kinderschutzbund) has been actively shaping child protection in Bremen for 70 years. It operates the Child Protection Center counseling service, the violence prevention project in schools, the Youth and Children's Rights Office, and the parenting courses "Strong Parents – Strong Children".
As part of Bremen's child protection strategy, the Bremen Child Protection Association is a partner for supervised visitation and the child and youth protection hotline. With dedicated full-time and volunteer staff, the Bremen Child Protection Association, through its various services, advocates for the protection and participation of all children, young people, and families. The Child Protection Association is an active advocate for children's rights.
Source: German Child Protection Association, Bremen State Branch, Press Release, September 20, 2024