Schwerin's youth welfare service in crisis mode: 9 million euros extra needed!

Schwerin's youth welfare service in crisis mode: 9 million euros extra needed!

The situation in youth welfare today is not easy – the current developments in Schwerin are evidence of this. As Schwerin.news reports, youth welfare in Schwerin will be faced with an additional financial requirement of a whopping 8.95 million euros in 2025. The reasons for these increasing expenses are diverse: higher wages, an increasing number of assistance for young adults and the need for additional care places are just some of the challenges that need to be overcome.

In order to meet these financial and structural requirements, an interdisciplinary project group will be convened by the end of November 2025. This group has set itself the goal of reviewing existing processes and developing sustainable measures. Interestingly, the current conditional framework remains in place for the time being, but will be evaluated as it progresses.

Increasing demands in youth welfare

What is particularly alarming is that facilities are reporting an increasing number of children struggling with psychological stress. A problem that can be observed not only locally in Schwerin, but nationwide. The 2023 Children's Health Report highlights that children and young people are under great strain due to the pandemic and current crises. The pressure on the systems - be it in the healthcare system, in schools or in youth welfare - is growing, and the specialists are often reaching their limits. Many parents are worried because the waiting times for therapy are also far too long.

The numbers speak for themselves: young people between the ages of 15 and 19 are particularly affected, often due to emotional disorders. Climate anxiety, a response to current global challenges, has also increased among young people, with 59% of 16-25 year olds very worried about climate change. This shows that young people are increasingly struggling with fears and worries that play into everyday life.

Together for more clarity and help

The provider Sternentaler, which is expanding its outpatient assistance and is now cooperating with local cinemas, also calls for a clear demarcation of tasks between school and youth welfare services. These measures are intended to ensure that children can also receive support outside of traditional educational structures. In addition, the social service, which has been fully staffed for a month, is ensuring that children who cannot attend regular school are still able to participate in society.

A central question that concerns those involved: How can the system be relieved without losing the quality of the help? The administration relies on intensive process review and close cooperation with the sponsors. The next meeting of the working group will take place on November 21, 2025, in which data protection must also have the upper hand.

Looking to the future, youth welfare services would now like to specifically survey parents who make use of outpatient support services. A survey will soon be carried out that will also include multilingual relatives in order to create a broad database. The goal is clear: data-based control of prevention and improved support for children and young people in the region.