Youth Welfare Offices in Berlin: Discrimination Without Consequences

Activists from various initiatives and social projects discuss racist structures within youth welfare offices

Press article written by

• Laura Men

Underfunded and intimidating: Are child welfare agencies doing more harm than good?

Photo: dpa/Matthias Hiekel

How can we take action against racist authorities? This was the question addressed by participants at the event “Racism in Detention” held on Friday in Friedrichshain. Berlin-based initiatives such as Reachout and KOP Berlin, the Campaign for Victims of Racist Police Violence, hosted the event at the nd building on Franz-Mehring-Platz.

“Youth welfare measures are harmful simply because of the fear of having children taken away,” says Lea Ulmer, who is writing her dissertation on the topic of this event. The activist calls for alternatives to involving child protective services, which often cause significant harm but offer little help. Out of fear of the authorities, victims of domestic violence frequently refrain from seeking help. As an alternative, Ulmer calls for easier access to financial and social assistance, as well as a support system for victims that first asks questions rather than immediately involving the authorities. At the same time, she says, there is a need for anti-racism training for the police and child welfare agencies.

Another major problem is the lack of communication channels between the authorities and the family. Interpreters are not provided for in these interactions, yet they are often urgently needed. Written communication takes place exclusively in German. “I have never seen any documents in any other language,” says Marie Melior, a lawyer specializing in family, social, and criminal law. Often, those affected are completely unaware of their rights. “No information about housing is simply provided,” even though parents are entitled to this information, Melior criticizes.

Added to this are the budget cuts affecting Berlin’s youth welfare offices. According to those in the discussion, the youth welfare office only intervenes when it deems it necessary to place the child in new accommodations. The situation is perceived similarly at the Berlin women’s shelter BORA. However, the subsequent placements are not viewed as inappropriate here. “I have not yet experienced a single placement that was not justified,” says Claudia Cohn, executive director of BORA e.V., to “nd.” The workload on the agencies is increasing, and available crisis shelters for children are scarce and expensive.

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