Child and Youth Services Were Under Great Strain in 2024

This is an increase of 3.6 percent compared to 2023, which also came with higher expenses. The number of boys and girls cared for under the so-called "Full Care" outside their core family slightly decreased. Here, there was a decline of 0.2 percent with 13,050 cases.

Support for upbringing is granted to children and also adolescents when there is a risk to the child's welfare and with the expectation "that the risk can be averted if they remain in the family or in their usual living environment," Statistics Austria stated on Thursday. The support is provided particularly through outpatient assistance, home and doctor visits, as well as by restricting contact with those who endanger the child's welfare.

Significant Differences in Comparison of Federal States

Based on 1,000 minors in Austria, 28.7 children and adolescents received support last year, and 8.3 were in "Full Care." These numbers vary significantly between the federal states: While in Carinthia there were significantly more support measures for upbringing with 43.3, only 16.5 were affected in Upper Austria. Living outside the family was significantly more common in Vienna with 11.9 boys and girls per 1,000 minors than in Upper Austria with 5.5. In general, more boys than girls were affected by the measures.

Upbringing outside one's own four walls was mainly provided in socio-pedagogical facilities in this country. According to Statistics Austria, 61.7 percent of the cared-for children and adolescents lived there, the rest in foster families.

Alarm Signal for SOS Children's Villages

For SOS Children's Villages, the largest private provider of child and youth welfare services, the published figures and the fates behind them are an alarm signal. "The burdens on families in Austria remain persistently high. We must be deeply concerned about how many families are overwhelmed by these burdens and partially break down," said Managing Director Christian Moser. Systematic problems such as rising costs, poor compatibility of family and work, or being overwhelmed with upbringing cannot be solved by the organization alone, it was stated in a press release.

The transfer of competencies to the states ten years ago - and the resulting different regulations depending on the federal state - is seen by Moser as a failure, describing it as a "patchwork of standards and measures." He calls for binding, nationwide guidelines based on current scientific findings and sufficient financial resources. "More and more often, we experience that the authorities cannot ensure the child's welfare due to a lack of resources. There is a lack of care places specifically tailored to the child's emergency and the necessary specialist staff. All in all: there is a lack of money," said Moser. The damage caused to children by delayed action is often irreparable.

Support in Case of Need Also for Young Adults

Teenagers who are already being cared for by child and youth services can also receive support after reaching adulthood if needed. Last year, there were 2,243 young adults aged 18 to under 21 in residential care. This represents an increase of 5.7 percent compared to the year 2023. 1,550 individuals in the same age group received outpatient support, which is an increase of 8.8 percent compared to the previous year. Compared to 2015, this means an increase of almost 30 percent in residential care and almost 70 percent in outpatient care. While in Lower Austria and Vienna hardly anyone made use of outpatient help (1.4 and 1.5 per 1,000 people, respectively), in Styria it was 14.4 out of 1,000 young adults.

Overall, there were 53,162 risk assessments last year to check whether there was a risk to child welfare. This represents an increase of 5.8 percent or 2,926 cases compared to 2023. This was most often the case in Vienna (24.8 percent), followed by Lower Austria (21.6 percent).

74,823 Parenting Supports Granted

Last year, more so-called parenting supports were recognized again - 80.7 percent were supports, 19.3 percent were "full care" outside the family - as reported by Statistics Austria: This was the case 74,823 times in total. Here too, there was an increase compared to the previous year of 5.4 percent or 3,850 cases. This was done in 92.2 percent of cases based on an agreement and only in 7.8 percent based on a court order. Parenting supports were almost entirely based on an agreement with the guardians (98.8 percent). In the area of "full care," this value was significantly lower at 64.7 percent.

The expenditures for child and youth services for parenting support measures, "full care," and assistance for young adults amounted to 1,060.9 million euros. This is an increase of 17 percent or 154 million euros compared to 2023. Taking into account the income from cost reimbursements by those obliged to pay maintenance (53.3 million euros), the net expenditures for parenting supports for the states and municipalities amounted to 1,007.6 million euros.

76 Adoptions and 24 Anonymous Registered Births

In 2024, child and youth services were involved in 76 adoptions, which represents an increase of 40.7 percent. 84.2 percent of the adoptions took place domestically, 15.8 percent were cross-border. Legal representation for custody or maintenance was taken over for 72,824 children and adolescents (an increase of 1.5 percent compared to 2023).

In 2024, there were a total of 24 anonymous births in Austria, which was eleven cases fewer than in 2023. The anonymous birth occurred most frequently in Vienna with eleven cases. Since 2001, it has been possible in this country to give birth to a baby anonymously in a hospital - including medical pre- and postnatal care for the mother. The child is then usually placed with adoptive parents. The mother has six months after the birth to reverse the release for adoption. Two children were placed in baby hatches last year.

(APA/Red)

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