Время Науки. 2016.Выпуск 2 -The Times of Science

Время науки The Times of Science 2016 9 Legal foundations The early prevention measures are therefore established within broad legal framework conditions. Central here is the new Federal Child Protection Act, which came into effect on the 1st January 2012. The law creates the legal foundations for introducing and consolidating comprehensive, easily accessible assistance services for families before and after birth, and during the first years of the child's life. It is intended that all the significant players in child protection - such as youth welfare offices, schools, health authorities, hospitals, doctors, prenatal consultancy services and the police - be integrated into a cooperation network. With a federal initiative launched in 2012, the Ministry for Families began a four-year funding of the establishment and expansion of early prevention networks, and the use of family midwives in states and municipalities. The federal government made EUR 30 million available for this in 2012, increasing this amount to EUR 45 million in 2013, and EUR 51 million in 2014 and 2015 respectively. Much of this funding goes to the federal states, who pass it on to the municipalities. The funding covers the establishment and expansion of the early prevention networks. Also funded is the deployment of family midwives from the health sector. The funds also promote structures for voluntary work. A coordination office exists at federal level within the NZFH. With the expiry of the model programme, the federal government will continue its financial commitment in the field of early prevention and psychosocial support to families with young children beyond 2015, through ongoing annual funding of EUR 51 million. 4 Multi-professional cooperation Interlinking - in the sense of the cooperation and coordination of assistance services - is promoted, although it is one of the most difficult endeavours in terms of delivering targeted and controlled assistance on a tailored and needs-oriented basis, and without profession-specific competition. This interdisciplinary interlinking demands a reliable concept that is tailored to the local circumstances. In the city of Mainz, and in numerous other cities, an association of organisations has existed since July 2015 for the organisation of early prevention . These include the Youth and Family Office, the German child protection agency, the family education office of the Evangelical church, and the social service of the Catholic church. All organisations provide numerous assistance services with their own focuses. It is possible to get in touch with one of the three offices in person or by telephone, or with a professional referral. After clarifying the actual needs of the family, discussion takes place in order to determine whether full-time or voluntary help can be provided. The diversity of the institutions involved should result in families obtaining the best possible support through mutual assistance. The threshold, i.e. the access to assistance, is kept deliberately low and without extensive formalities, in order that individuals are not overly strained or impeded by bureaucratic obstacles. 5 4 http://www.bmfsfj.de/BMFSFJ/Presse/pressemitteilungen,did=187034.html, [20.10.12] 5 See also the network model "Netzwerke in scheinbar unlösbaren Fällen - NIU" [networks in apparently unsolvable cases] of the youth welfare office in Karlsruhe: Freesemann/Niederbühl 2015.