The term "child and youth protection" refers to a wide range of regulations and measures that help to protect children and young people from dangers to their well-being. Young people are entitled to healthy mental, physical and psychological development as well as protection from physical and emotional neglect, maltreatment and sexual abuse.

Possible dangers exist in the most diverse areas of life, such as alcohol, tobacco and drug consumption, sects and psycho-groups, extremism in any form and much more. There has also been a significant increase in mental health problems and illnesses among children and young people as a result of increasingly insecure living conditions and strong pressure to perform. It is also important to prevent violence between children and young people, such as bullying and happy slapping.

Due to the rapid technological development of our time, dangers in the context of media use are also increasing, from excessive consumption of television, internet, games consoles etc. to cyberbullying, illegal downloads and pornographic content.

The Lower Saxony Ministry for Social Affairs, Labor, Health and Equality is concerned with the educational, legal and structural protection of children and young people, among other things. In particular, the protection of children and young people from violence, neglect and abuse is a high priority. For this reason, the state government initiates and promotes numerous support measures. These include advice centers for children and young people, child protection coordination centers and girls' shelters, as well as the training of family midwives and child protection specialists.

The promotion of regionally wide-ranging preventative services is an objective of educational youth protection. Public and independent municipal youth welfare organizations carry out these tasks in their area of responsibility and are supported by the Lower Saxony Ministry for Social Affairs, Health and Equality and the State Office for Social Affairs, Youth and Family Affairs in the form of project funding, advice and further training.