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 adolescents.
"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 Länderfonds, we support the implementation of projects that actively strengthen the realization of children's rights locally. Essential for funding is that the subsidized projects meet fundamental quality criteria of child and youth participation and are consistently designed together with young people. The Länderfonds will thus beneficially accompany the successful implementation of the Saarland Young People Participation Act," explains Social Minister Magnus Jung.
Anne Lütkes, President of the German Children's Fund, adds: "Children are experts in their own matters. That is also why they have a right to participate in the questions that concern them. Participation of children and adolescents is part of our democracy, it creates strength and generates self-confidence. It is therefore an essential foundation for good upbringing and for the question of how we design education or youth work. That is why we are very pleased that we can continue the joint funding fund with Saarland."
The Länderfonds Saarland "Participation of Children and Adolescents" especially supports projects that focus on the participation and inclusion of children and young people affected by social disadvantage. The goal is to mobilize and include these children and young people so that they practically experience that they are not on the sidelines. They should experience recognition and, in the sense of help toward self-help, learn to actively use their opportunities. Measures that contribute to the integration of children and adolescents with a migration background are particularly welcome.
Priority is given to funding projects in which children and adolescents are involved in planning and initiatives, as well as those that advocate for the anchoring of children's rights with the participation of children and adolescents. The fund is intended to support both innovative projects with exemplary effects and foundational projects in the field of child and youth welfare in developing participation-oriented working methods.
Applications for 2026 are still possible. Further information about the application process and funding guidelines can be found at the following link: www.dkhw.de/foerderfonds/saarland.
