Erfurt (dpa/th) – On the occasion of International Children’s Day on June 1st, politicians from the Greens and SPD called for more services for children. “In Thuringia alone, at least 40,000 children and young people are growing up in poverty,” criticized Ann-Sophie Bohm, state spokeswoman for the Greens in Thuringia, according to a party statement on Tuesday. Therefore, the basic child security must come as soon as possible.
The child and youth policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, Denny Möller, called the 20 euros a month immediate surcharge for children and young people affected by poverty, which are to be introduced from July 1st, a first important step towards basic child security.
As Bohm said, the situation is currently worsening for low-income families with rising prices at the supermarket checkout, for heating or at the gas station. In order to offer children and young people fair opportunities regardless of their parents’ wallets, the country needs good daycare centers, more all-day schools and more financial relief for families. This can be achieved, among other things, through free local public transport for children and young people, comprehensive freedom of learning materials and free lunches at schools and daycare centers.
According to Möller, among other things, good and free education and care offers are part of a social-democratic basic child security system. In addition, there should be a monthly subsidy for leisure activities such as music school and sports club. “Above all, the topic of good education, especially early childhood education, is something that we can actively promote here at state level,” explained the social democrat.
