Child protection in socio-ecological structural change

For three days, a total of one hundred and fifty students and academics from all over Germany and Switzerland fromSocial Work together with professionals from regional specialist practice will discuss the effects of structural change on the welfare of children and young people.

The overarching goal of the "Summer University Child Protection" and an important added value for the participants is the theoretical and practical dialog as well as the discussion of the status of proven and innovative approaches to child protection work. Experiences from professional practice are brought into context with scientifically based knowledge and discussed. The focus will be on social work activities and experiences that are directly related to child protection in socio-ecological transformation processes. Concrete practical examples and experiences from everyday professional life complement scientific approaches and thus bring the professional context of Social Work closer to the students. In recent years, a network of colleges and universities where Social Work is taught has formed, which have integrated the summer school into their curriculum.

What it means to support children, young people and families in regions with increased structural change, to guarantee the right of children to preserve their ecological, liveable environment or ways to involve children and young people more closely in the ecological restructuring of society are just a few examples of how comprehensively the topic should be considered.

Dr. Stefan Heinitz from the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der Kinderschutz-Zentren e.V. (Federal Association of Child Protection Centres) comments on the importance of the summer school : "Experience has shown that the discussions and results of the tried and tested format of the summer school also influence the political discourse. We hope that this will succeed in the connection between socio-ecological transformation and child protection issues, which has been given far too little consideration to date."

Prof. Alexandra Retkowski, Chair of Social Services for Structurally Weak Regions at BTU, adds: "Lusatian structural change is a huge opportunity for the region, but it can also be a stress factor for some families. We therefore need to keep a close eye on family support, child welfare and child protection. The Institute of Social Work at BTU is here to support professionals in the field."

The "Summer University Child Protection" is organized by the Federal Working Group of Child Protection Centres to prepare interested future specialists and managers for the field of child protection and support for families in the context of violence. The special character of the event lies in the combination of scientific lectures, specialist methodological workshops and field-specific practical examples, through which the students gain important insights into the discourse and practical field of child protection. After Münster (2013), Berlin (2015), Hamburg (2017), Bremen (2019) and Emden (2022), the 6th Summer University will take place in Cottbus this year in cooperation with BTU Cottbus Senftenberg. The 2024 Summer University is funded by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the State of Brandenburg.

Contact

Dr. Stefan Heinitz, Federal Managing Director of the Child Protection Centers, T +49 (0) 221-56975 43, E heinitz(at)kinderschutz-zentren.org,www.kinderschutz-zentren.org