Berlin introduces youth check for laws
Senate decides on measures to strengthen child and youth friendliness
Quick Look
- The Berlin Senate is introducing a mandatory youth check for all new legislative proposals.
- The city is also planning to set up a youth housing agency and join the “Child-Friendly Municipalities” initiative in order to anchor the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child more firmly.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Berlin is planning measures to increase its attractiveness for young people. This includes both legislative review procedures and practical support when looking for housing.
In the future, all laws and political projects in Berlin will be subjected to a so-called youth check. They are therefore systematically checked to see what effects they have on children, adolescents and young adults, as Education Senator Katharina Günther-Wünsch (CDU) announced after a Senate meeting. “The perspective of young people is taken into account at an early stage in the legislative process and intergenerational policies are further strengthened,” she said.
According to the senator, the project is part of a program intended to make Berlin more attractive for children and young people. This also includes setting up a youth housing agency. This is primarily intended to support those young people who are leaving their foster families or homes in order to build their own lives in their search for housing.
Help with finding accommodation
According to Günther-Wünsch, the agency offers affordable housing as well as accompanying advice and support. “In this way, homelessness is to be prevented, social participation is to be strengthened and the conditions for training, work and an independent life are to be improved.”
Berlin is also joining the international “Child-Friendly Municipalities” initiative, as Günther-Wünsch added. “The state of Berlin is thereby committed to anchoring the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as a binding standard for the actions of all Senate administrations.”
Open Questions
- When exactly does the youth check come into force?
- How much is the budget for the youth housing agency?
