Act on the Further Development of Child and Youth Services
Kinder- und Jugendhilfeweiterentwicklungsgesetz (KICK)
The Act on the Further Development of Child and Youth Services (Gesetz zur Weiterentwicklung der Kinder- und Jugendhilfe – KICK) came into force on 1 October 2005. The Act includes regulations that accompany the Act on the Expansion of Child Care (Gesetz zum Ausbau der Kinderbetreuung, TAG), which came into force on 1 January 2005.
The primary task of KICK is to improve the protection of children and young people from danger in order to preserve their well-being. As a result, the Youth Office’s mandate of protection in the event of endangering a child’s well-being was structured and defined; the supporters of institutions and services were involved in the fulfilment of the protection assignment (section 8a). Furthermore, regulations included the following: the responsibility of the Youth Office to set the direction in ensuring the provision of services and limiting the self-provision of services (section 36 a), the provision of assistance abroad was made more dependent on stricter requirements (sections 27, 35 a and 78 b) and the contribution of parents and young people to the costs of services was reorganised (sections 90 et seqq.).
The Authorisation Requirement for Day Care Workers (Erlaubnispflicht für Tagespflegepersonen) was redefined as an accompanying measure to the TAG. Day Care Authorisation applies in future to up to five children and does not have to be reapplied for with every individual child, as was previously the case. Occasional care, assistance from neighbours and relatives does not require authorisation.
