Wiesbaden (dpa/lhe) – In 2021, the youth welfare offices in Hesse temporarily took 3,340 children and young people from their families and placed them under official protection. The number of people being taken into care fell slightly compared to the two previous years: In 2020, 3417 cases were registered, in 2019 there were 3596, as can be seen from a response from the Wiesbaden Ministry of Social Affairs to a small inquiry from SPD MPs Lisa Gnadl and Nadine Gersberg .
As a result, in 2021 most of the children and young people were housed in institutions (2687 cases), almost 500 came to “suitable people” and around 160 to assisted living arrangements. According to the information, most of the children taken into care were older than twelve years (2174 cases). On average, taking into care lasted almost two months (57.2 days). According to the law (§ 42 SGB VIII), taking into care is a provisional and short-term protective measure for children and young people who are suspected of being abused or neglected.
