A medical child protection outpatient clinic will start next April in the Potsdam Children and Youth Clinic. The West Brandenburg Clinic announced this on Monday. The new department is intended to be an interdisciplinary contact point for cases of suspected mistreatment, abuse or neglect of children and young people.
The youth welfare offices in particular should be supported – especially in the professional assessment of whether there is a risk. Standardized medical examinations will take place in the new clinic, and there will also be close coordination between medicine, youth welfare and other involved institutions. The work areas also include prevention work and advice and support for specialists.
Since 2019, efforts have been underway in Brandenburg to establish child protection clinics and, in the future, so-called childhood homes. So far, Brandenburg is the only federal state without corresponding care. This is now set to change with the founding of the “State Working Group KIA” and the application to the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians to set up child protection institute outpatient clinics. Potsdam will be one of the first four planned locations where such an offer will be created. Further child protection clinics are planned in Eberswalde, Lauchhammer and Neuruppin.