City makes commitment to expanding accessible child and youth services for the following five years

Dormagen Signs New Contracts for Open Youth Work

In a significant move to enhance the quality of open youth work and create flexible structures that cater to the needs of young people, the city of Dormagen has signed new contracts. These contracts, signed by Mayor Erik Lierenfeld on August 26, secure the facilities for the next five years.

The new contracts aim to implement the results of the constructive coordination process in concrete improvements for the facilities. Mike Wetzel, head of the department for children, youth, families, and schools, stated that these improvements would be reflected in the facilities.

The new agreements create more space for young people, setting new priorities and providing the providers with planning security. The focus of these new contracts will be on young people aged 14 and over.

One of the key features of these contracts is the use of voluntary service providers, particularly beneficial for smaller facilities. This approach is now explicitly supported in the new contracts. The new contracts also provide financial security and new content impulses for the youth facilities in Dormagen.

Initially, four events per year are planned - one per quarter. These events are intended to provide young people with additional opportunities for leisure activities and to promote encounters and participation. The city of Dormagen will provide an "action pot" of 12,000 euros annually for providers to organize larger, cross-institutional events with an event character.

The "Micado" and "Rübe" facilities in Dormagen-Mitte and Horrem, respectively, will benefit from additional specialist staff due to the new contracts. The new contracts also aim to strengthen volunteer staff involvement in open youth work until 2030.

The new contracts were designed in close cooperation between the city and the providers and facilities, leading to an improvement in resources and personnel equipment. The existing offer for youth facilities in Dormagen will be aligned more strongly with this age group and expanded accordingly.

New programs in the areas of culture, democracy promotion, and mental health will be created due to the new contracts, specifically addressing current social challenges. A review is planned after three years to make any necessary adjustments.

Mayor Lierenfeld emphasized the importance of offering reliable points of contact for young people in Dormagen with necessary offers. He stated that these new contracts lay the foundation for modern and future-oriented youth work in all districts of Dormagen.

The new contracts for the renewal of open youth work in Dormagen explicitly support five Dormagen providers of open children and youth facilities who have formed a joint association to lead contract negotiations with the city together; among those supported are the facilities Micado and the children's and youth meeting place St. Katharina.

These new contracts will come into force on January 1, 2026, and will apply until the end of 2030. The new contracts are a significant step towards creating a more engaging and supportive environment for young people in Dormagen.

City makes commitment to expanding accessible child and youth services for the following five years