Guidance and aid for family members

Last Thursday, the first networking meeting for counseling centres supporting families and young people with (impending) disabilities took place at the youth welfare office in Landshut. The meeting, planned as a kick-off for regular networking, aimed to bridge the gap between youth welfare and integration assistance.

The goal of the meeting was to address the needs of families with children with disabilities, with a focus on addressing the high psychological stress experienced by parents of children with disabilities and the affected young people themselves, as revealed by a 2022 study published by the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

Carolin Völkner, the city's disability commissioner, attended the meeting, along with specialists from the Supplementary Independent Participation Counseling of the Bavarian Red Cross Open Disability Work and the Lebenshilfe Landshut. Representatives from self-help groups of disabled and chronically ill people and their relatives, such as the State Working Group Self-Help Bremen, and other advocacy groups supporting people working outside workshops for disabled individuals, like the Interest Representation for Self-Determined Living in Germany (ISL), were also present.

The meeting was organized by caseworkers from the city of Landshut and the youth welfare office. All participants agreed that close cooperation and collaboration are necessary to improve offers, strengthen networking, and develop tailored assistance. The agreement emphasized the importance of utilizing synergies in cooperation to achieve these goals.

Counseling centres can provide relief by guiding those affected through the complex support system and assisting with the application for services. The meeting marked the beginning of a series of planned regular network meetings, with the aim to improve the support system for families with children with disabilities and to break down the inclusion barriers for parents and affected young people.

Further meetings have already been planned to continue the collaboration, with the ultimate goal of addressing these barriers and improving the support system for families with children with disabilities. The meeting served as a significant step towards ensuring that families with children with disabilities receive the care and support they require, which is often lacking in daily life.