Every family has arguments from time to time—whether between parents or between parents and children. When these arguments become more frequent, it can be a major source of stress. Parents and children sometimes need support in these situations. Parenting support services provide this assistance. “Parenting support services” is the term used to describe various support programs designed to help families dealing with problems and crisis situations.

If you’d like to receive help from the Youth Welfare Office, you’ll need to contact them. This help isn’t mandatory—it’s an offer. The first step is often a counseling session with the Youth Welfare Office. There, you can explain your problem. The staff can offer suggestions on how to resolve it.

Children, adolescents, or young adults can also seek help from the Youth Welfare Office on their own. Parents do not need to know about it if the young people do not want them to.

Parental support services are tailored to the interests and needs of the child or adolescent. The basis for granting these services is the support plan process. The support plan process involves the legal guardians, the children or adolescents, and the Youth Welfare Office.

There are various types of educational assistance:

• An educator advises and supports parents on parenting issues (parenting counseling).
• A group-based educational program is designed to promote the social development of older children and adolescents (social group work).
• A social education specialist works to help children or adolescents (educational assistance).
• Children receive help when their parents have a mental illness.
• Supporting the child or adolescent’s transition to independence while maintaining their connection to the family (care assistant).
• Care and support for a child in an emergency situation. For example, the child may be placed for a certain period of time in a foster family or in a residential youth welfare facility (residential care, supervised living arrangements, or intensive individual social-educational support).
• For children and adolescents with mental disabilities, there is also integration assistance (which is not part of educational assistance). They are, of course, also entitled to educational assistance. Educational assistance and integration assistance can be provided either separately or in combination.