The reform of child and youth welfare, proposed by Federal Minister Karin Prien (CDU), will not bring about cost savings for school support services provided to children with disabilities for several years, according to the “Rheinische Post.” The report cites the Ministry’s response to a query submitted by the Green faction.
The Ministry stated that there is no expectation that the planned group solutions will be fully available in all municipalities and schools within a few years. The letter, which the newspaper is reporting on, explicitly says, “For this reason, it is assumed that during an initial gradual expansion, only the rise in costs can be mitigated over the first eight years.” Consequently, existing annual costs for school support services will not be reduced during this period.
Denise Loop (Green), an education policy maker, expressed concern that this approach could result in shifting more duties onto daycare centers and youth social work, without simultaneously investing more in inclusive public education provisions or improving staffing levels. The Bundestag member also criticized the projections of billions in savings for young people with disabilities, calling them based merely on anecdotal evidence.
