Legal entities (e.g. registered associations, limited liability companies, stock corporations, civil law foundations) and associations of persons (e.g. unregistered associations) that are active in the field of child and youth welfare and meet all the requirements set out in Section 75 (I) of Book VIII of the Social Code may be recognized as voluntary youth welfare organizations.
Recognition is not required if the organization is already recognized by law in accordance with § 75 Paragraph III SGB VIII. This applies to the churches and religious communities under public law as well as the associations of voluntary welfare work that are united at the federal level.
In Bavaria, the legal recognition includes, among others, the associations of independent welfare work that joined together no later than the cut-off date of January 1, 2007. Recognition only extends to legally independent member organizations that join at a later date if the sponsor is active in the field of youth welfare and is linked to the sponsor by similar statutes and activities to form an organizational unit. This must be determined separately by the competent body.
On the basis of state law, the Bayerischer Jugendring and the youth associations and youth communities that merged no later than January 1, 2007 are recognized voluntary youth welfare organizations. If youth associations and youth communities were incorporated into the Bayerischer Jugendring after the cut-off date of January 1, 2007, they are thus also considered recognized voluntary youth welfare organizations.
Determining the competent authority:
- The local youth welfare office is responsible if the provider is essentially only active in the area of responsibility of this youth welfare office.
- The respective government is responsible if the activity extends to several youth welfare office districts, but not substantially beyond the government district.
- The Bavarian Youth Welfare Office (Bayerisches Landesjugendamt) as part of the Bavarian Family and Social Affairs Center (Zentrum Bayern Familie und Soziales, ZBFS) is responsible for agencies whose activities extend to several government districts but not significantly beyond Bavaria. This does not apply to youth associations and youth communities as well as other agencies that are predominantly active in the field of youth work.
- In all other cases, responsibility lies with the Bavarian State Ministry for Family Affairs, Labor and Social Affairs as the highest state youth authority.