The Workers’ Samaritan Association (ASB) and the Greens have strongly criticized proposed cuts in child and youth care originating from federal, state, and municipal umbrella organizations. Uwe Martin Fichtmüller, managing director of the ASB, told the “Funke” media group newspapers that what is being marketed as “efficiency improvement” is actually a dismantling of the welfare state, asserting that “social justice is not a bargaining chip-it is the foundation of our coexistence”.
Regarding the planned elimination of individual academic support for children with disabilities, the ASB warned of substantial subsequent costs and violations of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Fichtmüller noted that without individualized support, the affected children risk long-term disadvantages, particularly for those who rely heavily on assistance.
Franziska Brantner, the head of the Green party, specifically criticized the proposal to alter the entitlement to full-day care, stating to the “Funke” newspapers that this disproportionately affects families that depend on reliable care. She called this move “socially and economically short-sighted”. Brantner also criticized the plan to cut maintenance allowances for single parents, insisting it would abandon those who “already have to scrutinize every single euro”. She dismissed the argument of municipal financial distress, arguing that “the answer cannot be to pit the weakest against each other”.
These criticisms stem from an internal working paper from federal, state, and municipal apex bodies, which was published by the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband. This document outlines plans for savings totaling approximately 8.6 billion euros.
