The funding fund of the German Children's Fund and Saarland for child and youth participation is also providing 20,000 euros in 2026 for measures and projects that promote the awareness of children's rights as well as the age-appropriate participation of children and young people.
"Young people are independent personalities with their own rights, needs, and perspectives. They should actively shape their lives and be involved in decisions that affect them. With the federal state fund, we support the implementation of projects that actively strengthen the realization of children's rights locally. A decisive criterion for funding is that the subsidized projects meet fundamental quality criteria of child and youth participation and are consistently designed together with young people. Thus, the federal state fund will beneficially accompany the successful implementation of the Saarland Young People's Participation Act," explains Social Minister Magnus Jung.
Anne Lütkes, President of the German Children's Fund, adds: "Children are experts in their own matters. For this reason, they have the right to be involved in matters concerning them. Participation of children and young people is part of our democracy; it creates strength and builds self-confidence. It is therefore an essential foundation for growing up well and for how we shape education or youth work. This is why we are very pleased to be able to continue the joint funding fund with Saarland."
The Saarland federal state fund "Participation of Children and Young People" particularly supports projects that focus on the participation and inclusion of children and young people affected by social disadvantage. The aim is to mobilize and involve these children and young people so that they practically experience that they are not on the margins. They should experience recognition and learn, in the sense of help towards self-help, to actively use their opportunities. Measures that contribute to the integration of children and young people with a migration background are especially desired.
Priority funding is given to projects where children and young people are involved in planning and initiatives, as well as those that advocate for anchoring children's rights with the involvement of children and young people. The fund aims to support both innovative projects with exemplary impact and foundational projects in the area of child and youth welfare in developing participation-oriented working methods.
Applications for 2026 are still possible. Further information on the application process and funding guidelines can be found at the following link: www.dkhw.de/foerderfonds/saarland.
