Berliner Rechtshilfefonds Jugendhilfe

The Berliner Rechtshilfefonds Jugendhilfe (BRJ) e.V. is a non-profit association, founded in June 2002 in Berlin-Kreuzberg. The BRJ is recognized nationwide as the first independent ombudsman office in child and youth welfare and actively advocates for needs-based and lawful youth welfare services.

• Consultation and Support: The BRJ offers voluntary advisory assistance for young people, young adults, parents, and the professionals supporting them. These consultations are conducted by phone and in person and focus on the enforcement of rights in child and youth welfare[2][3].
• Public Relations: The association engages in targeted public relations work to raise awareness of the needs and rights of young people and their families.
• Training: The BRJ organizes training sessions for youth welfare professionals on topics such as legal claims in youth law, application, objection, and litigation procedures, as well as individual assistance planning according to § 36 SGB VIII[1][3].

The main mission of the BRJ is to position itself as a lobby for young people and their families with justified but unmet youth welfare needs. The association opposes unlawful administrative actions in youth welfare and advocates for individual case justice. The members of the BRJ form a broad alliance of qualified and experienced social educators and social workers, lawyers, psychologists, and supportive private individuals[1][2][3].

• Projects and Networks: The BRJ conducts various projects, such as the project "Staying Responsible Ombudsmanship for Young People in Difficult Transitions" funded by Aktion Mensch and the model project "Berlin Complaints and Ombudsman Office for Child and Youth Welfare (BBO)" in cooperation with the Senate Administration for Education, Youth, and Science. These projects aim to support young people in critical life transitions and ensure needs-based services in youth vocational assistance and support for young adults[2][3].
• Funding and Volunteering: The funding of the BRJ comes from membership fees and donations. Annually, the members and supporting individuals contribute about 1200 hours of highly qualified voluntary work[2].

The BRJ has been honored with several awards, including the Hermine-Albers Prize from the Working Group for Child and Youth Welfare (AGJ) in 2006 and the Best Practice Schutzbengel Award in 2008[1].

The Berliner Rechtshilfefonds Jugendhilfe e.V. is an important player in child and youth welfare, tirelessly advocating for the rights and needs of young people and their families, thus playing a significant role in society.

• 1 - https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berliner_Rechtshilfefonds_Jugendhilfe
• 2 - https://www.brj-berlin.de/ueber-uns/
• 3 - https://jugendhilfeportal.de/projekt/berliner-rechtshilfefond-jugendhilfe-ev-brj
• 4 - https://www.brj-berlin.de
• 5 - https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/16296NCJRS.pdf