Today, youth work in Germany generally follows certain characteristics and principles, including:

• plurality of youth organisations,
• volunteer work,
• supported by youth work professionals,
• activities are voluntary and oriented to the needs and interests of young.

Child and youth work is carried out as part of the child and youth services system in Germany. Child and youth services generally cover all assistance, education and pastoral care services for children, young people and their families outside of school.

Youth work covers a broad spectrum of services and recreational activities for young people. It is for all children and young people irrespective of their age, background, education, sex and – in particular – any problems they may have or which are attributed to them.

Child and youth work is also a place that represents the interests of children and young people, for example by representing youth associations or the alliances to which they belong in (local) political structures. Child and youth services, and therefore also youth work, is organised independently at a local authority level. The federal (Bund) and state (Länder) governments only lay down general legal provisions regarding the need for child and youth services and the general goals these services must pursue. The majority of child and youth work is organised and financed at a local (Kommune), district (Landkreise) and town/city level. This results in an array of organisational forms, services and structures.

Participation is a recurring topic in child and youth work, not only in terms of how child and youth work can be structured participatively, but also in terms of how political participation by young people in their living environments (such as local participation processes or participation in youth services planning) can be increased and structured.

In recent years, youth work in Germany has been profoundly shaped by societal and legal developments. The reform of Social Code Book VIII (SGB VIII) has reinforced the mandate for inclusive access to services and expanded the responsibilities of public authorities in this field. At the same time, social crises – such as the pandemic, inflation, psychosocial stress and young people’s concerns about the future – are having a tangible impact on both the needs youth work addresses and its methods of practice. These challenges are compounded by a nationwide shortage of skilled professionals. Digital transformation, including the rapid advancement of AI technologies, is reshaping communication channels and the delivery of youth work. Digital and hybrid formats, online counselling, digital outreach and AI-supported tools are increasingly complementing traditional in-person services. At the same time, new forms of youth participation are emerging – from digital youth initiatives and social media-based engagement to activist movements such as Fridays for Future – which both expand and challenge established structures. Simultaneously, growing social polarisation, accompanied by the rise of right-wing extremist actors and anti-democratic narratives, underscores the importance of political education, democracy promotion and a clear stance against discrimination and hostility in youth work. In this context, there is an increasing need in many places for support among professionals in the field.