Child and youth work is a diverse and heterogeneous field of action within child and youth services. Child and youth work supports young people in mastering key developmental tasks of childhood and adolescence—such as becoming independent, acquiring skills, and finding their place in the world—and thus contributes to the holistic development of their personalities. This is achieved through its programs, the professional guidance of specialists, and spaces that facilitate encounters, experimentation, involvement, and participation. Through children and youth work programs, young people experience community and a sense of belonging. Children and youth work plays a central role for young people and society. It can build bridges and break down barriers. Here, children and adolescents can test their limits, take responsibility for themselves and others, and, not least, learn about democracy in a practical way. Children and youth work is a voluntary, real-life-oriented educational space offering informal learning opportunities in social, creative-artistic, or practical everyday situations.

Social contexts and political frameworks shape the programs, topics, structures, and resource allocation for child and youth work. Current social changes and professional challenges—such as the blurring of boundaries within the field and the fact that young people constitute a comparatively small yet highly diverse demographic group—further increase the demands placed on the field. At the same time, child and youth work generates social and political momentum, advocates for the interests of young people, gives voice to their perspectives, and opens up opportunities for them to exert influence in political arenas. This results in a wide variety of missions, programs, and approaches, each presenting ever-changing demands and challenges.

The 5th Federal Congress on Child and Youth Work is intended to be a forum for professional exchange, discussion, and collaborative development for practitioners, administrators, policymakers, and scholars. Reflecting the diversity and heterogeneity of child and youth work, the program has been deliberately designed to be broad in scope. Through approximately 190 events, as well as within the framework of the Markt der Möglichkeiten, presentations in various formats will provide a wide range of opportunities for professional inspiration, exchange, and networking.

The congress views the European discourse on youth work, as well as the European and international dimensions of child and youth work, as an intersection with all thematic areas and welcomes contributions that highlight relevant connections to the key topics.