Alarming Shortage of Crisis Foster Parents in Vienna
In Vienna, more and more babies who are particularly vulnerable due to family crises are being removed from their own families. The number of these babies has recently exceeded the capacities of the responsible child and youth welfare services, as reported by ORF. Ingrid Pöschmann, the head of MA11, describes the situation in an interview with "Wien heute". Just this past summer, there was a massive shortage of crisis foster parents.
Initiative by Employees of Child and Youth Welfare
To address this shortage, four employees of the Vienna Child and Youth Welfare have taken the initiative to temporarily take a baby into their homes. This measure will be maintained at least until the end of November. Currently, only 37 crisis foster parents are available, which is why seven more are currently being trained.
Resource Shortage in Care
The shortage of resources affects not only vulnerable babies but also the care of older children. The Child and Youth Advocacy has found in over 57 inspections in crisis centers that overcrowded living conditions make individual care difficult. Sebastian Öhner from the Vienna Child and Youth Advocacy emphasizes that cramped and overcrowded spaces cannot meet the needs of the children.
Growing Demand with Increasing Population
The increasing population in Vienna means that more and more children need to be removed from their families. Despite the challenges, the city has increased the number of care places as part of a staffing initiative since 2021. The capacity of crisis centers has been increased from 138 to 186 places. These crisis centers are intended for acute care, with about half of the children and adolescents eventually returning to their families, while others are placed in supervised living groups.
Urgent Need for More Foster Parents
Especially for vulnerable children under three years old, at least ten more foster parents are urgently needed. The shortage of suitable foster families remains a central problem that needs to be addressed.
(Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.