The Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB) and the Greens have strongly criticized proposed cuts in children’s and youth care, according to recommendations from top associations representing the federal government, states, and municipalities. Uwe Martin Fichtmüller, the managing director of ASB, stated to the Funke media group’s Saturday editions that what is being presented as an “efficiency improvement” is actually a dismantling of the social state, adding that “social justice is not a negotiable item-it is the foundation of our coexistence”.
Regarding the planned removal of individualized school support for children with disabilities, the ASB warned of high subsequent costs and violations of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Fichtmüller noted that without this individual support, those who rely on it face long-term disadvantages.
Franziska Brantner, the leader of the Green Party, especially criticized the proposed deferral of the right to full-day care. She stated to the Funke newspapers that this move disproportionately affects families who depend on reliable care and that it is “socially and economically short-sighted”. Furthermore, she criticized the proposal to reduce interim maintenance payments for single parents, arguing it would abandon those who “already have to spend every euro twice”. She firmly rejected the idea that local governments’ financial difficulties justify this, asserting that “the answer cannot be to pit the weakest against each other”.
These concerns stem from an internal working paper from the federal government, states, and municipal top associations, which was published by the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband. This document outlines plans for cuts amounting to approximately 8.6 billion euros.