System of Social Services in Germany: An Example of General Social Services (GSS) ²⁴⁹⁷

Due to the growing stratification of society the impact of social factors on upbringing in families has greatly increased. The task of the state, on the one hand, is to develop and implement preventive measures to support families with children, and on the other hand, to hold compensatory measures to strengthen or restore the upbringing ability of the family. Herewith protection of physical and spiritual well-being of children is of utmost importance. These governmental tasks in Germany are implemented in the countrywide General Social Services (GSS). The article describes the structure, the work directions, the system of financial and professional interactions of the Service on an example of the GSS in North Rhine-Westphalia. The activities of this particular Service in realization of the governmental guarantees of family and childhood support are recognized as the most effective in Germany. Here the system of coordination and management of resources from various governmental and non-governmental regional structures provides the maximum volume of social, educational, legal and financial assistance to families with children.

Keywords: general social services, legal guarantees, family court, social and educational assistance, dangerous situations, assistance in upbringing, child protection from violence, withdrawal of children from families, social-pedagogical diagnostics, territorial subordination.

Column: Foreign Studies in Legal Psychology