Youth Protection: Decrease in Children Taken into Care by Youth Welfare Offices

The number of children and adolescents placed under the protection of youth welfare offices has seen a significant decline recently. This trend may be attributed to changing circumstances surrounding child welfare issues. Youth welfare offices are mandated by child and youth welfare law to intervene and take children into custody when there are indications of abuse or neglect by guardians. These interventions are crucial in acute crisis situations to safeguard the well-being of minors.

Recent statistics reveal that the most common reasons for such protective measures include parental overload (25%), neglect (12%), physical abuse (11%), and psychological abuse (8%). Notably, the predominant reason for the care placements--accounting for 44%--is the unaccompanied entry of minors from abroad. Among these cases, 24% involved immediate placements following their arrival, while 20% were standard placements following the nationwide distribution of children and adolescents.

According to the latest data from the statistics office, the overall number of care placements decreased by approximately 8,500 cases (a reduction of 22%) in 2024 compared to 2023. This decline is largely attributed to a decrease in the number of unaccompanied entries. Conversely, the number of cases characterized by immediate threats to child welfare rose by nearly 2,600 cases (an increase of 10%). Additionally, self-reports from affected children and adolescents saw an uptick of around 850 cases, also reflecting a 10% increase.

Further analysis indicates that 42% of protective measures were initiated due to urgent child welfare threats, while 13% were the result of self-reported incidents where minors sought help from youth welfare offices. This suggests an increasing trend of minors proactively reaching out for assistance.

While the significance of unaccompanied entries has waned compared to 2023, the data indicates that nine out of the thirteen possible reasons for intervention have seen a rise in frequency. The most notable increases were observed in cases of physical abuse (up by 1,026), neglect (up by 939), parental overload (up by 896), and psychological abuse (up by 843). It is important to note that multiple reasons could be cited for each case.

Approximately 77% of the affected minors were placed in institutional care, while nearly 25% were placed with a suitable person or in supervised living arrangements. On average, a protective custody measure concluded after 62 days. Following these placements, nearly a quarter of the minors returned to their previous living arrangements, while 45% were relocated to other facilities, with the majority being placed in homes, supervised groups, or alternative establishments.