Hamburg, December 13 – Experts from the city’s youth welfare services presented a grim picture to the Family Committee of the Hamburg Parliament on Friday, highlighting severe underfunding across many sectors. This situation is reportedly leading to dramatic consequences for children and families in the city.
Underfunding and Its Dramatic Consequences
The session, which saw an overwhelming interest from social workers, lasted over three hours. Experts detailed the struggles within their respective fields, painting a stark picture of the current state of youth welfare.
“We are not talking about a minor issue here,” stated Ronald Prieß, who works with homeless minors. He emphasized that approximately 380,000 young individuals in Hamburg are potential users of youth and child welfare services. Many of these young people are increasingly burdened psychologically, with numerous families feeling overwhelmed and parents uncertain about their future. Prieß, who is an ambassador for street children in Hamburg and a member of the AK Children, Youth and Education of the Patriotic Society, noted a significant rise in cases handled by youth welfare offices.
Budget Cuts Amidst Growing Need
Anja Post-Martens from the Association for Child and Youth Welfare condemned the budget cuts in such a critical situation. “It’s December, and in January, colleagues don’t know if they will still have their jobs. This is a catastrophe. You cannot treat people this way.”
Currently, numerous small, local projects, such as adventure playgrounds, are affected by these cuts. These projects are crucial for providing essential social work. Experts unanimously agree that “what we don’t invest today, we will have to pay for double or triple later.”
Poor Working Conditions and Staff Shortages
For a long time, staff within Hamburg’s child and youth welfare services have been vocal about inadequate staffing, poor remuneration, and excessive administrative burdens.
In response, the Family Authority announced last summer that it was prioritizing efforts to improve working conditions. They acknowledged the existing problems and assured that they were being addressed. The authority is reviewing workflows between different departments of the youth welfare offices and aiming to reduce the administrative load on specialists. Additionally, staffing levels are also being re-evaluated.
Alarming Situation for Employees
A lack of personnel, high administrative effort, and insufficient time for families’ concerns have led to widespread frustration among employees in Hamburg’s child and youth welfare services. This critical situation prompted a second Child and Youth Summit in Hamburg, organized by a broad alliance of various organizations, to demand increased budget allocation for the sector.
Further Developments and Related News
This report follows recent news from NDR 90,3 on December 13, 2025, at 09:00 AM, highlighting the struggles of social work in Hamburg. Other local news includes a successful fundraising day for “Hand in Hand for North Germany,” raising nearly 1.6 million Euros for individuals affected by addiction, and Hamburg’s new digital parking control system to combat illegal parking. The district assembly of Mitte is also embracing Instagram to inform citizens about local political discussions.
Source: https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/hamburg/jugendhilfe-in-der-krise-wie-kuerzungen-kinder-in-hamburg-belasten,jugendhilfe-102.html
