Financing crisis: Brandenburg advice centers on the brink of extinction!

Financing crisis: Brandenburg advice centers on the brink of extinction!

In Brandenburg, the existence of numerous pregnancy counseling centers is being questioned, which is why alarm bells are ringing. Current funding is simply not enough and this could have disastrous consequences. Loud rbb24 The advice centers in cities such as Strausberg, Bernau, Oranienburg, Hennigsdorf and Gransee are at acute risk of closure if the financial situation does not improve quickly. Social organizations, including the German Red Cross, are already sounding the alarm: They emphasize that there is a lack of the necessary resources to maintain the legally required pregnancy conflict counseling.

The legal requirement stipulates that there must be a full-time counseling center for every 40,000 residents, but there is a glaring shortage here. A report by the Brandenburg League of Independent Welfare Services shows that 66 urgently needed specialist advice centers are missing for 2.56 million people. Currently only 63.5 have been applied for, which puts considerable strain on the supply landscape.

Difficulties in financing

The Brandenburg Social Minister Britta Müller has recognized the urgency of the situation and is in favor of stabilizing the care structures in pregnancy, conflict and family counseling. There is currently a flat rate of 85,238 euros for a skilled worker working full-time all year round, which is intended to cover more than 80% of the necessary personnel and material costs. The state plans to increase the funds provided from the current 5.3 million euros to 5.6 million euros, but this is not enough to finance the required advisory positions. For an essential increase in the fixed amount from 81,000 euros to 110,000 euros per full-time equivalent, a total increase of 1.6 million euros is required.

Things don't look any better in the legal context either: a ruling by the Federal Administrative Court makes it clear that the advice centers are entitled to cover at least 80% of the necessary costs, but full reimbursement of costs is only possible through individual examinations, which puts an additional burden on the administration.

A wide range of advisory services

The counseling centers offer expertise relating to women's issues: abortions, sex education, contraception, family planning and social assistance are just some of the topics that the counselors are confronted with on a daily basis. The necessity of these offers is undisputed; the work of the advice centers is highly valued by the population.

An innovative approach was discussed at the recent Equal Opportunities and Women's Ministers' Conference in Essen: the introduction of digital pregnancy conflict counseling. This could be a measure to somewhat alleviate the impending supply chaos.

Despite the challenges, support at the local level must also continue. In Bavaria, for example, providers of pregnancy counseling centers receive share funding that covers 80% of eligible expenses, with 50% being borne by the state and 30% by the districts or independent municipalities. This shows that a functioning system is possible if the framework conditions are right. Healthcare needs a good hand, especially in such sensitive areas, to ensure successful support in the long term.