Suchergebnisse

The child welfare system in Germany has been described as family service-oriented because families in need are entitled to request family support services. If there is any form of child maltreatment, there may be some kind of mandatory state intervention to protect the child. Using trends in the number of children affected by maltreatment, the rate of maltreated children noted by the child protection system, and safety, permanency, and well-being of children after a maltreatment report as outcome indicators, there are hardly any data on the effectiveness of the German child protection system. Moreover, there are no studies examining the validity of risk assessment procedures or the effects of different interventions in child protection cases. However the situation is changing, with international research becoming more accessible, and with the publication of more relevant studies.

Im Rahmen des Projektes Kinderschutz in Zeiten von Corona (KiZCo) wurden seit März 2020 Gruppenleitungen des Allgemeinen Sozialen Dienstes aus 40 Jugendämtern zu ihrer Arbeit mit Familien befragt. Die Befragung erfolgte zu zwei Zeitpunkten anhand eines leitfadengestützten Telefoninterviews zur Ausgestaltung des Kinderschutzhandelns im Rahmen der Corona-Pandemie. Die Fachkräfte berichteten von Herausforderungen in dem Zugang und in der Kontaktaufnahme mit Familien im Rahmen der Maßnahmen zum Infektionsschutz. In einigen Kommunen wurden in der Kinder- und Jugendhilfe neue niederschwellige Angebote eingerichtet, die zum Teil der erleichterten Kontaktaufnahme dienten, zum anderen Teil spezifische Bedarfe der Familien aufgriffen, die erst durch die Corona-Pandemie in den Vordergrund gerückt waren. Insbesondere in der zweiten Befragungswelle wird jedoch deutlich, dass in der Mehrzahl der Kommunen keine neuen niederschwelligen Angebote etabliert wurden, sondern bereits bestehende Angebote im Hinblick auf die Maßnahmen zum Infektionsschutz angepasst wurden.

Objective: The study investigates the dynamics within families in contact with child protective services in reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic as perceived by social workers. Based on the Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response (FAAR) model, strengths and problems are outlined. Background: Following the first lockdown of public life in March 2020, concerns about children's well-being have been raised. Practitioners and scientists alike worried that particularly children in families with multiple problems would suffer severe abuse and neglect. However, it remains unclear how these families have actually been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the measures to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Method: Child protection caseworkers from 40 child and youth welfare authorities across Germany were interviewed twice via telephone. The first interview was conducted during summer 2020, and the second interview two months later. Caseworkers were questioned about their professional experience in their daily work since March 2020. Moreover, they provided information on the perceived effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on families in contact with child protective services. Results: The interviews were analyzed using content analyses. Six overall challenges for families were identified. Families reacted differently to these. The caseworkers reported problems in families like increased parental conflict, media use, and alcohol consumption during the first lockdown. Nevertheless in some families, the caseworkers also perceived there to be less stress and tension during the lockdown in March 2020 due to fewer school requirements. Furthermore, some families were able to establish routines, activate resources, and find solutions for problems on their own. At the time of the second interview, some families' problems had increased, particularly regarding children's difficulties at school due to insufficient homeschooling. Conclusion: The results show that the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on child protection families are positive and negative. Some are resourceful in the face of adversities, and others show an aggravation of problems. The results are discussed in light of findings on family dynamics during the Covid-19 pandemic in other countries.

Wie kommt es zu Vernachlässigung? Wie schätzt man als Fachkraft die Gefahr für das Kind richtig ein? Unter welchen Folgen leiden die Kinder bei Vernachlässigung - oft ein Leben lang? Wie schauen die Familien aus, in denen vernachlässigte Kinder leben? Wie geht man mit den oft hochbelasteten Familien um? Welche frühen Hilfen bieten sich an? Die Autoren geben Antworten auf all diese Fragen und vermitteln anhand von Fallbeispielen einen Eindruck, wie sich Vernachlässigung in der Praxis zeigt. Psych. Beate Galm arbeitet als wissenschaftliche Referentin am Deutschen Jugendinstitut e. V., Informationszentrum Kindesmisshandlung/Kindesvernachlässigung (IzKK), und ist Lehrbeauftragte der Kath. Stiftungs-FH München. Dipl.-Kulturwirtin Katja Hees arbeitet als selbstständige Journalistin in München. Weitere Informationen zu Katja Hees finden Sie unter kress.de Dr. Dipl.-Psych. Heinz Kindler ist wissenschaftl. Referent am DJI, Schwerpunkt Kindeswohlgefährdung. Weitere Informationen zu Projekten der Autoren finden Sie unter www.dji.de und unter www.fruehehilfen.de