Integration assistance: How to meet children with disabilities!

Integration assistance: How to meet children with disabilities!

integration aids for children with disabilities are an important topic in Cologne. More and more families are dependent on the support in order to enable their children to make a self -determined life. Today we represent significant cases that exemplify the challenges and needs of these families. Anton, 16 years old, needs a school attendant due to his autism spectrum disorder to reach his Abitur at a Müngersdorf school. The twelve-year-old Marla from Porz, on the other hand, relies on a leisure assistant who paves her way to the youth club and a wheelchair basketball training. Likewise, four -year -old Simon, who is both physically and mentally impaired, is dependent on a curative education day care center in Rodenkirchen and a therapist.

But what exactly are integration aids? These state support offers enable young people with disabilities, individual lifestyle and equal participation in social life. They have been regulated by the Bundesiltrhabegesetz (BTHG) and nine has been anchored in the Social Code since 2020. The Basic Law guarantees every person, including those with disabilities, the equal participation in social life. In 2023, around one million people received integration aids in Germany, of which 31.6 percent of children under the age of 18

integration aids in the Cologne region

In particular in the Cologne region, around 60,000 people are dependent on this aid, a third of them are under 18 years old. The expenditure for integration aids was around 25.4 billion euros nationwide in 2023, which represents an increase of 9.4 percent compared to the previous year. However, these developments have led to uncertainty among those affected.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz has expressed that the rising costs are “no longer acceptable” and plans to check the integration aids. Critics, such as Ulla Schmidt from Lebenshilfe, warn that such statements suggest that people with disabilities would wrongly receive benefits. This has also led to a great outcry in Cologne, because Cologne -based institutions of the disabled help emphasize that the weakest of society may not be saved.

insights from experts and those affected

Silke Mertesacker and Matthias Toetz from Lebenshilfe Köln demand that those affected themselves include in discussions about cost savings. Petra guest of "We for Pänz e.V." Getting to the point: Participation is a human right! Roads in integration aid endanger social peace. In addition, many families indicate the difficulties in applying for support measures. Long waiting times and frequent rejections are dreary reality.

The BTHG, which will be implemented in four reform levels by 2023, is intended to improve the participation and self -determination of people with disabilities. A major goal is to relieve municipalities and countries by separating basic security and integration assistance and partially adopted by the federal government. It is also planned that people with disabilities who receive integration aid can keep more of their income and assets.

The integration assistance was not only regulated, but also separated from social assistance and transferred to the SGB IX, part 2. This also provides the advantage that parents of adult children with disabilities have no longer have to pay a maintenance contribution since 2020. The income and asset allowances were also increased, so that there is more protection, especially for socially weaker families.

If you would like to learn more about the integration assistance and the federal participation law, you can find the full information on the websites of Ksta.de , and BMAS.de Read!