Our Services and Offerings: Projects

Deutscher Kinder- und Jugendhilfepreis

The AGJ presents the Deutschen Kinder- und Jugendhilfepreis – Hermine-Albers-Preis - and announces it every two years in the Practice Award category of child and youth welfare, focusing on a current topic in the field of child and youth welfare. The AGJ also awards the Theory and Theory and Science Prize and the Media Prize for Child and Youth Welfare every two years, without any specific thematic focus. The German Child and Youth Welfare Prize is funded by the Supreme Youth and Family Authorities of the federal states.

Purpose of the award:

• The aim is to encourage individuals working with children, youth, and their families —or within the structures of child and youth welfare— to develop and present new concepts, models, and practical examples for the further development of the theory and practice of child and youth welfare, and to publicize their work to the professional community.
• Journalists are encouraged to report on the diverse work of child and youth welfare (its content, methods, approaches, and service providers) and thereby provide realistic information about the services and programs offered by child and youth welfare.
• The promotion and, where appropriate, publication of the award-winning works is intended to advance and support the theory and practice of child and youth welfare and to spark interest in the work of child and youth welfare among a broader audience.

Deutsche Kinder- und Jugendhilfetage

With the Deutschen Kinder- und Jugendhilfetag (DJHT), held every four years, the AGJ provides the central forum in Europe for the exchange of experiences, discussion, and professional development. Key elements of the German Child and Youth Welfare Days are the professional conference and the trade fair.

Der Deutsche Kinder- und Jugendhilfetag

• provides a space for exchange and networking, while facilitating the exploration of different perspectives on the theory and practice of child and youth welfare.
• It not only serves as a forum for discourse within the field of child and youth welfare but, in the spirit of cross-sectoral policy, also seeks dialogue with policymakers responsible for children and youth.
• It promotes the continuing education and professional development of specialists and serves as a central hub for ideas and expertise in child and youth welfare.
• It provides insight into everyday practice and presents conceptual developments, innovative models, and projects.
• It informs the public about the responsibilities, services, and benefits of child and youth welfare.
• It aims to collectively advance improved social conditions for children, youth, and their families.

The 19th DJHT is scheduled to take place in 2029.

Further information: www.jugendhilfetag.de

Das Portal der Kinder- und Jugendhilfe

In cooperation with IJAB – Fachstelle für Internationale Jugendarbeit der Bundesrepublik Deutschland e. V. (IJAB – Center for International Youth Work of the Federal Republic of Germany), the AGJ has been running the project Das Portal der Kinder- und Jugendhilfe since January 1, 2005. This website provides the latest news on developments and activities in the field of child and youth welfare, as well as on related research and policy. It covers cross-cutting issues and debates of current interest to child and youth welfare in Germany and within a European context. In addition to news and background reporting, the online portal offers an Info Pool with numerous cross-references to resources, events, training opportunities, and projects. Alongside information on grants and funding opportunities, it also provides details on relevant laws at the federal and state levels. The extensive and free job board rounds out the range of services. A biweekly newsletter regularly provides all subscribers with the most important news, offers insight into current focal topics, and reports on political developments and initiatives.

As a participatory project, the portal places great emphasis on maximizing participation and collaboration with child and youth welfare services. Associations and organizations from all areas of activity have the opportunity to present their own content and services to a broad professional audience. Content can be published on the portal using freely accessible forms or by contacting the portal directly.

Das Portal der Kinder- und Jugendhilfe is funded by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Obersten Jugend- und Familienbehörden (AGJF) and the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth (BMFSFJ).

Further information: www.jugendhilfeportal.de

jugendgerecht.de – Arbeitsstelle Eigenständige Jugendpolitik

Through the project jugendgerecht.de – Center for Independent Youth Policy, the AGJ supports the continuation of Independent Youth Policy. 
The goals are to further develop and disseminate the principles, action strategies, tasks, and content of Independent Youth Policy in order to strengthen the significance of youth as a life stage and to promote political and social engagement with the issue.

The Resource Center builds on the existing principles, guidelines, and goals of Independent Youth Policy, provides transparency on current developments, and fosters discussions on youth policy. It disseminates and further develops the content of Independent Youth Policy in close collaboration with experts from both theory and practice to strengthen the political significance of youth as a life stage and to bolster political and social engagement in this area.

Further information: www.jugendgerecht.de

Digitale Kompetenzen in der Kinder- und Jugendhilfe

Digital media play a major role in child and youth services—whether as everyday tools in the form of social media or as part of specialized software applications, such as in diagnostics and case management. Nevertheless, there is very little systematic empirical knowledge regarding the current state of digitalization in child and youth services or regarding the corresponding requirements, competency profiles, and training opportunities. The quality of professional practice with particularly vulnerable target groups in the context of digital transformation within one of Germany’s largest professional fields is not structurally guaranteed.

The collaborative project Digitale Kompetenzen in der Kinder- und Jugendhilfe (DiKoJu for short), funded by the Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth (BMBFSFJ) and carried out by the University of Cologne and the Working Group for Child and Youth Welfare (AGJ), aims to close this gap. The project focuses on determining the current state of digitalization in child and youth welfare in Germany and identifying the training needs for developing professionals’ competencies, both within specific fields of practice and across them.

The University of Cologne, under the direction of Prof. Dr. Nadia Kutscher at the Chair of Educational Assistance and Social Work, is responsible for the scientific oversight and coordination of the consortium. As part of the collaboration, the AGJ is responsible for integrating practical experience into the project.

Further information: www.dikoju.de

Themenbotschafter*in Gesundes Aufwachsen

The AGJ project Themenbotschafter*in Gesundes Aufwachsen funded by the National Center for Early Intervention through funds allocated by the Federal Ministry of Education, Family, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth, and by the Auridis Foundation (project duration: 2026–2028), focuses on collaboration between child and youth welfare services and public (child and youth) health services. Drawing on examples of best practices from individual municipalities, workshop forums will explore how collaboration is established and sustained, how synergies are created, and where and what kind of support is needed from state and federal levels. A fundamental family-oriented approach, taking into account the diversity of family structures and life situations, serves as the unifying principle. The project focuses on the key areas of child day care, low-threshold family services, and open child and youth work. The project’s implementation is supported by an expert council consisting of various representatives from both child and youth welfare services and the health care system. 

The goal of the project is to draw on municipal experiences to determine how federal and/or state policymakers can support the health-promoting design of the municipal living environment across legal jurisdictions and how these levels of government can learn from one another.
The results will be presented in topic-specific position papers and at a knowledge transfer conference in 2028.

Further information: here