Annual conference "Kinderstark - NRW creates opportunities"

Minister Josefine Paul welcomed the participants to the conference entitled "Time for municipal prevention chains - time for children and young people" and emphasised the importance of networked work for families.

The aim of the meeting was to show what has been achieved over the past five years and to network and exchange information about projects that have been realised in individual municipalities with the funding. The participants were able to expand their knowledge in various workshops.

The 4 basic principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child were emphasised as the basis of the municipal prevention chain: priority of the best interests of the child (Article 3), right to life and development (Article 6), freedom from discrimination (Article 2) and participation (Article 12). As children's rights are not enshrined in the Basic Law, but have the status of a federal law, all those working in administration and politics are obliged to take them into account in all decisions.

Around three quarters of the 186 youth welfare offices in North Rhine-Westphalia take part in the funding programme, including all 4 youth welfare offices in the district of Warendorf.