Crisis Service for Families

The Crisis Service for Families in Styria is aimed at privately operated child and youth welfare institutions that have been officially approved and hold a valid written service agreement with the Styrian State Government. As a practical, resource-oriented service, it supports families in acute crisis situations within the home environment for up to 12 weeks. A subsidy ensures continuous care during this period. Applications can be submitted continuously without fixed deadlines, allowing institutions to respond flexibly to escalating problem situations. Implementation takes place through an intervention planned for three months, which is activated at short notice as soon as conventional support strategies are no longer sufficient and the welfare of the children or adolescents is at risk.

The primary goal of this funding is to initiate sustainable behavioral changes and competence development among all family members to enable or stabilize the retention of children and adolescents within the family environment. As a secondary goal, a high acceptance of the support measure is sought even in cases of unavoidable out-of-home placement. Prerequisites for funding include a valid care agreement with the institution as well as the presence of an acute problem situation endangering the child’s welfare. At the same time, the service promotes the expansion of personal scope for action and the targeted use of existing resources to strengthen families in crisis and stabilize them in the long term.