New child and youth home law comes into force
The new Child and Youth Home Act (KJG) was passed by the Cantonal Council on November 27, 2017. Its aim is to provide needs-based care and support for children, adolescents and young adults in difficult life situations. The right to the services available is anchored in the KJG. The services include, in particular, home care, family care and socio-educational family help.
The costs of the supplementary upbringing are borne jointly by the canton and the municipalities. The cantons’ share is 40 percent and the municipal share is 60 percent. While the municipalities are relieved of their administrative tasks in connection with the receipt of services, the canton is now responsible for the overall planning and control of a needs-based range of supplementary aids for upbringing and orders the services on the basis of service agreements.
New ordinance for children and youth homes
In order to implement the new legislation, the government council issued the Children and Youth Home Ordinance (KJV). The KJV describes the overall planning process and the service catalog of the supplementary aids for upbringing. It also regulates the reporting and authorization requirements and the financing of supplementary education aids.
The government council has taken up the intention of consultation on the KJV. Compared to the consultation draft, he has expanded the catalog of services to include specialist family care and set a training quota for carers in home care offers of 75 percent.
Effects for special schools and hospital schools
In the Primary School Act (VSG), various provisions on special training and hospital training have been adapted. In the area of special training, the foundations were created in order to conclude service agreements with flat-rate fees with the sponsors of the special schools and to simplify the processes.
As a result, the government council amended three ordinances: These regulate the implementation of financing, the approval requirements for special schools and their staff, as well as the offer and financing of hospital schools. The procedure for collecting the municipalities’ cost shares is also being adapted. In order to do justice to the concerns raised by the special schools in the consultation, the government council has extended the transition period for the application of flat rates from two to four years.
The new legislation on children’s and youth homes creates legal certainty, simplifies financing, improves management and guarantees families in the canton of Zurich a flexible and needs-based use of supplementary aids for upbringing. It comes into force on January 1, 2022.