Volkshilfe – Essential Child Support

Since January 2019, Volkshilfe has been supporting children affected by poverty with a monthly support of an average of EUR 320 per child (depending on household income). One family from each federal state is supported for the duration of two years. The innovative project is unique in Europe: we know scientific studies about the negative effects of child poverty. But for the first time, we have scientific evaluations that look at the effects on children, when you remove the poverty. These show that the children's lives have improved in all areas after just one year.

Every fifth child in Austria is at risk of poverty. Child poverty is not only the lack of material goods – children living in poverty are also at risk of exclusion. Volkshilfe Austria developed this financial model of child support to ensure that a child’s development and future do not depend on the income of their parents.

Volkshilfe Kindergrundsicherung (“Volkshilfe – Essential Child Support”) aims to abolish child poverty in Austria. Through our programme, families affected by poverty receive a monthly child benefit stipend based on the family‘s income (max. 625 EUR) for two years. Parents decide together with their children their financial and personal goals. Social workers document the changes of the stipend on the children.

Volkshilfe Kindergrundsicherung works together with families in poverty and their children. The programme also works with Austrian and German worker welfare organizations to reach the national and regional governments. Dr. Nikolaus Dimmel (lawyer and sociologist) is also a research partner to analyse and monitor the programme’s long-term effects.

After three months in the pilot project, the children in the programme feel a greater sense of self-confidence and self-empowerment. Children who hardly communicated suddenly made eye contact, spoke more often, and expressed their needs. In the words of the children: "We all now laugh more" or "I can even buy a snack and be my own boss in the shop."

Volkshilfe is currently implementing a pilot project to determine the effects of this financial and social child support. We aim to introduce this child support model as a state benefit throughout Austria. This model can be implemented in all of Austria and is also affordable as a social benefit.