Sources and method – Care leavers

These 15 topic pages are based primarily on statutory texts (gesetze-im-internet.de), the Federal Law Gazette (Bundesgesetzblatt) and publications by Careleaver e. V., the German Institute for Youth Welfare and Family Law (DIJuF) and the Federal Ombudsman Network for Child and Youth Welfare (Bundesnetzwerk Ombudschaft in der Kinder- und Jugendhilfe). The "Sources" field of each topic page names the specific references.

An important change in the law: abolition of the cost contribution in 2023

Until 31 December 2022, children, young people and young adults in full-time foster care or residential care had to hand over a considerable part of their own income – for example a training allowance – as a cost contribution to the youth welfare provider. Under the Act on the Abolition of the Cost Contribution of Young People in Child and Youth Welfare (BGBl. 2022 I S. 2824), in force since 1 January 2023, this contribution from own income was abolished entirely (§ 94 Abs. 6 SGB VIII old version "repealed"). Only a cost contribution equal to the child benefit received for the young person remains (§ 92 Abs. 1a, § 94 Abs. 3 SGB VIII). If you are still familiar with the older legal situation, you will find the current rules on the topic page "Cost contribution: what you have to hand over from your own income".

Sources

1. Gesetze im Internet (gesetze-im-internet.de), Federal Ministry of Justice and Federal Office of Justice, retrieved September 2026: consolidated versions of SGB VIII (esp. §§ 2, 7, 13, 27, 33, 34, 36, 36a, 36b, 39, 41, 41a, 42, 91, 92, 93, 94), SGB II (§§ 7, 9, 22, 37), SGB X (§ 25), SGB V (§ 27), BAföG (§§ 11, 36, 37), BGB (§§ 2, 1684, 1713, 1715, 1773, 1774, 1814, 1815). Basis for all sections cited in the text.
2. Bundesgesetzblatt (Federal Law Gazette): BGBl. 2022 I S. 2824 (Act on the Abolition of the Cost Contribution of Young People in Child and Youth Welfare, in force 1.1.2023); BGBl. 2021 I S. 1444 (Child and Youth Strengthening Act, KJSG); BGBl. 2021 I S. 882 (Act on the Reform of Guardianship and Care Law, in force 1.1.2023) – each at recht.bund.de.
3. Careleaver e. V. (careleaver.de), retrieved September 2026: information on emergency funds, peer counselling and "Meine Akte" (My File).
4. Bundesnetzwerk Ombudschaft in der Kinder- und Jugendhilfe e. V. (ombudschaft-jugendhilfe.de), retrieved September 2026: basis for the information on regional ombudsman offices.
5. Deutsches Institut für Jugendhilfe und Familienrecht (DIJuF) (dijuf.de), retrieved September 2026: professional assessment of practice under § 41 SGB VIII.
6. Kreuzberger Kinderstiftung (kreuzberger-kinderstiftung.de), retrieved September 2026: example of a foundation programme specifically for care leavers.
7. Förderdatenbank des Bundes (federal funding database) (foerderdatenbank.de), retrieved September 2026.
8. Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung (National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians) (116117.de), retrieved September 2026: appointment service for psychotherapy.

Where information is expressly marked as uncertain

For some statements, our research found no nationally uniform or officially verifiable statement. This applies in particular to:

• how long youth welfare files are kept – this depends on state law or municipal file regulations and is not regulated uniformly nationwide; a figure of "10 years" that sometimes circulates could not be confirmed as a rule applying nationwide;
• a nationwide, official figure for the size of the target group "care leavers", as this category is not reported separately in the official child and youth welfare statistics;
• the historical cost contribution rates for young people before 1.1.2023 (exact percentages of the former Cost Contribution Ordinance);
• specific funding amounts of individual foundations and funds (e.g. Careleaver e. V. emergency fund, Kreuzberger Kinderstiftung), as these change and are not consistently published;
• a nationwide statistic on the debt rate of care leavers after the end of youth welfare;
• the regional availability of ombudsman offices and care-leaver-specific psychosocial services, which varies from state to state.

In all these cases the relevant topic page names the uncertainty expressly instead of presenting a figure or assessment as established fact.

What this platform does – and what it does not

• Figures, deadlines, amounts and legal bases come from the sources named. Nothing was added that is not supported there. Where a statement could not be verified with certainty, this is stated on the relevant page instead of guessed.
• Values that differ by municipality or state law (e.g. file retention periods, the design of supported housing) are marked "varies by municipality/state law" instead of giving an invented nationwide figure.
• Child and youth welfare law remains in flux even after the KJSG 2021 and the 2023 reform; courts will still have to clarify some questions of interpretation (e.g. on § 41a SGB VIII). The information does not replace legal advice in an individual case.
• Deadlines are often short and the discretion of youth welfare offices is wide. If in doubt, go straight away to an independent advice centre, the Jugendamt (youth welfare office) or a lawyer – see Advice and contact points.