An event organized by the Child Protection Network in the district of Kleve took place in the concert and stage house in the pilgrimage town of Kevelaer.
Around 150 professionals from almost all areas that encounter children - from schools and daycare centers, youth welfare services, counseling centers and healthcare to the police, justice system and family court - took part in the specialist event. The great diversity impressively demonstrated how many agencies share responsibility when a child needs protection.
The aim of the event was to make the often complex processes involved in child protection more transparent and to strengthen cooperation across professional boundaries. Using a fictitious case, various professions presented their work and showed how challenging it is to classify information correctly and make decisions together.
"Child protection works best where knowledge is networked, perspectives are shared and uncertainties are addressed openly," was the common message of the day. The response makes it clear that the district of Kleve is sending a strong signal for active cooperation and greater safety for children.
The Kleve District Child Protection Network was founded on the basis of Section 9 of the NRW State Child Protection Act. The five municipal youth welfare offices and the district youth welfare office have joined forces to form a district-wide network in order to improve child protection in the district. Among other things, the network's coordination offices plan and carry out district-wide information and exchange events aimed at professionals from youth welfare, educational institutions and health services, for example. The aim is to promote interdisciplinary exchange and jointly develop preventative measures to better protect children and young people from danger. In addition, cooperation between the various institutions is strengthened in order to provide rapid and targeted help.