Applying for educational support
Service description
Every family has arguments from time to time. Arguments between parents, or between parents and children. When these arguments become more frequent, it can be a great strain. Parents and children sometimes need support in such situations. Parenting support services provide this help. ‘Parenting support services’ is the term used to describe various support programmes designed to help families dealing with problems and crisis situations.
If you would like to receive help from the Youth Welfare Office, you must contact them. This help is not compulsory, but is offered on a voluntary basis. The first step is often a counselling session with the Youth Welfare Office. There, you can explain your problem. The staff can suggest ways in which the problem might be resolved.
Children, teenagers or young adults can also seek help from the Youth Welfare Office on their own. Their parents do not need to know about this if the young people do not want them to.
Educational support is tailored to the interests of the child or young person. The basis for granting such support is the support plan process. The support plan process involves the parents or guardians, the children or young people, and the Youth Welfare Office.
There are various types of educational support:
- An educationalist advises and supports parents on parenting issues (parenting advice).
- A therapist tries to help the family through group sessions (social group work).
- A psychologist or social education worker tries to help individual family members (parenting support).
- Children receive support if their parents have a mental health condition.
- Supporting the child or young person’s transition to independence whilst maintaining their connection to their family (care assistants).
- Care and support for a child in an emergency situation. For example, the child may be placed with a foster family or in a residential home for a certain period (residential care or supported living arrangements, and intensive individual socio-educational support).
- For children with mental disabilities, there is also integration support (which is not classified as educational support). They are, of course, also entitled to educational support. These forms of support and integration support may be provided either alongside one another or in combination.
Procedure
- Please contact the relevant authority with your concerns. They will decide whether educational support is appropriate and what forms of support are available.
- The relevant department will help you with your application and also advise you on other sources of support.
- Once educational support has been approved, all those involved work together to draw up a support plan. This sets out how the educational support is to be organised in your case. It is important that all family members benefit from it.
Who should I contact?
Please submit applications for educational support to the Youth Welfare Office in your district or independent city.
Prerequisites
Educational support measures may be considered if it is clear that they will help the children concerned and that, without them, an upbringing that is in the best interests of the child or young person cannot be guaranteed.
An important prerequisite for the success of the service is your willingness to accept help and work towards change.
What fees are incurred?
The costs are borne by the relevant authority.
In the case of educational support provided on a part-time or full-time residential basis, contributions towards the costs may be charged.Legal basis
What else should I know?
There is a legal right to educational support. In addition to parents and children, others may also make use of this support, for example a guardian or the child’s carers.