"Acute shortage" - There is a lack of foster families in Saxony

There is a shortage of foster families in Saxony. "Many places are desperately looking for them," said Nora Köhler, spokesperson for Diakonie Sachsen. The current situation is critical and there is an "acute shortage". Especially in the three major cities of Dresden, Leipzig and Chemnitz, there is a lack of foster families who can look after affected children.

The need has continued to increase in recent years, reports Jan Donhauser (CDU), Mayor of Education in Dresden. The state capital is currently looking for foster families for 15 girls and boys. Posters and information evenings are being used to advertise this. And yet the number of applicants willing to take in a child in full-time care is declining.

Only rarely are applications made for charitable reasons, says Donhauser. People take a long hard look at their own family system and weigh up professional and personal/family interests, he said.

Increasing addiction and mental health problems

In addition, the requirements have also become more complex, according to the city. The children to be placed increasingly exhibit "disorder patterns", which makes the selection of suitable foster families more difficult, according to Donhauser. Diakonie also reports similar experiences. Increasingly, there are addiction problems or psychological problems among the parents of origin and severe behavioral problems among the children. "This makes it difficult to find families who are able and willing to face up to this," said Nora Köhler.

There are currently 412 children living in 348 foster families in Dresden. According to the figures, around nine million euros were spent on full-time care last year. These are mandatory services that are not affected by the recently imposed budget freeze.

Foster families for 15 children are also currently being sought in Chemnitz. There are four potential foster families - six more are currently being tested for their suitability. There is no waiting list; decisions are made depending on the situation. According to the city, the number of families alone is not decisive. The foster children's service must also ensure that a foster family and the child are a good match so that a "permanent foster relationship" can be established.

Foster family and children must be a good match

Social workers are on hand to support the families, and there are also training courses and workshops. Every three months, foster children and foster families meet at the playground meeting to network. In Chemnitz, there are currently 296 children in 273 foster families.

According to Diakonie, the overall state of child and youth welfare in Saxony is not good. There is "historically unprecedented cost pressure" that is destabilizing the entire system, according to spokeswoman Köhler. On the one hand, expenditure is rising, while on the other, local authorities are having to make drastic cuts in many places.

Financial incentive rather low

According to Diakonie, youth welfare offices should intervene earlier and work more preventively with affected families. However, there is a lack of capacity for this. "The youth welfare offices are working at the limit", says Köhler. In some cases, they can only work acutely - for example, when a child needs to be taken into care or when problems escalate. However, by the time a risk is identified, it is often too late and the only option is to place the child in a foster family, said Köhler.

Many federal states follow the recommendations of the German Association when it comes to paying care allowances - including Saxony. For 2025, the association suggested a lump sum of around 1,178 euros for children up to the age of six. The amount increases with older children.

In the view of Diakonie, the financial incentive is therefore relatively low. Especially as foster parents receive no parental allowance and no pension or health insurance. "There is an urgent need for more support for foster families," says Nora Köhler.