Child and youth emergency service

Taking a minor into care in accordance with Section 42 SGB VIII is a necessary protective measure if a minor is in an acute crisis or danger and therefore needs to be temporarily taken into care outside of their parents' home. Such a care centre is also known as a child and youth emergency service, or KJND for short. Taking children into care is a temporary, socio-educational intervention measure in a current crisis situation around the clock, 365 days a year and 24 hours a day.

The legislator has enshrined this standard in Section 42 of the Eighth Social Code (SGB VIII).

The protection of children, ensuring the welfare of children, taking children into care if their welfare is at risk and providing places and facilities for taking children into care are mandatory tasks of the City of Chemnitz.

The primary aim is to prevent the child's welfare from being jeopardised and to protect the child or young person from (imminent) life-threatening or development-threatening neglect, child abuse, sexual violence or lack of care (e.g. hospitalisation, inaccessibility or death of caregivers).

This goes hand in hand with

• Placing the child or young person in a protected environment
• Ensuring initial and everyday care that meets the child's needs
• diagnostic clarification and, if necessary, medical and therapeutic assistance
• age-appropriate counselling and support for crisis management
  

At the same time, parents must also be supported in their parenting role and offered a system of counselling and support services geared towards the different life situations of families. Prospects for the children and young people are worked out together with the youth welfare office and the participating organisations.

The final aim of the temporary, socio-educational protective measure is to find a permanent solution that is in the best interests of the child, such as

• the return of the child or young person to their family of origin, provided the parents themselves are able and willing to avert the danger, if necessary with socio-educational support for the family in the home environment
• Placement of the child with a person of trust or with relatives
• the provision of inpatient educational support, e.g. in a residential youth centre
• Assistance according to other benefit laws
  

Due to its age and structural condition, the emergency child and youth centre currently located in Flemmingstraße will have to be closed in the foreseeable future. Against this background, the closure of the centre has already been planned for some time and at the same time the concept of several smaller facilities has been planned in detail. The planned concept addresses the needs of children and young people as follows:

• Improvement of the spatial conditions (e.g. rooms for one to a maximum of two children, sufficient care, recreation and activity rooms)
• accessibility
• Small capacities to be able to work pedagogically with the children and young people taken into care (capacity per centre: 8 places + 2 emergency places)
• Establishment of regular psychological counselling for the children and young people
• Appointment of a direct contact person for any questions or clarification needs for the children and young people in care and the neighbourhood
• Regular communication with the immediate neighbourhood
  

Various factors must be taken into account when choosing a location for a care centre. Together with the State Youth Welfare Office/under the Child and Youth Welfare Act, it is checked that the new location has the following characteristics in terms of location and topography:

• a low level of residential development in the direct neighbourhood of the planned facility
• a good connection to the public transport network
• a favourable infrastructure in the surrounding area and the possibility of using the daycare centre and school
• at least a 2000m² plot of land
• Accessibility
• The two facilities must not be located close to each other