Vienna: New crisis centers for small children – protection for the youngest!
Vienna is planning six crisis centers for small children by 2026 in order to address threats at an early stage and protect children.

Vienna: New crisis centers for small children – protection for the youngest!
An important step to support small children in crisis situations was taken a year ago in Vienna. Since November 2024 there has been a toddler crisis center in Favoriten, which was set up specifically for children aged 3 to 6 years. This center offers temporary care for up to six children and is intended to be a safe point of contact in difficult times. Loud meinkreis.at A second center is planned for 2026, and a total of six such facilities are expected to be operational by then.
The need for these crisis centers is particularly underlined by the figures from Vienna's child and youth welfare services (MA 11). In 2024, a whopping 13,181 risk assessments were carried out. Of these, 1,056 resulted in crisis placements, which corresponds to 8% of the cases. There were already 484 accommodation cases in the first half of 2025. The main goals of these measures are de-escalation within the family and the protection of the children affected, although placement should generally be limited to six to eight weeks.
Causes and reporting channels
The reasons for endangerment are diverse and worrying: neglect (53.9%), physical violence (20.3%) and psychological violence (24.3%) are the most common reports. Interestingly, reports often come through schools (30.2%) and the police (24.4%); only a small part, namely 2.9%, comes from legal guardians.
In order to better protect children and young people, it is important to raise awareness of child protection. Specialists must be provided with information on how to do this KWG info to be able to act appropriately in the event of suspected cases. The platform not only serves as a reference tool, but also promotes a culture of mindfulness in institutions.
Commitment to non-violent education
A common goal is to create an environment in which children can grow up free of violence and their emotional well-being is strengthened. Child protection centers like them childprotection-centres.org described are committed to such a vision. The focus here is on protection against violence as well as promoting emotional bonds and self-confidence.
In order to further advance this commitment, further education and training opportunities as well as events such as the 15th Child Protection Forum are planned. This forum deals with current challenges in child and youth welfare and offers a platform for exchanging ideas about the lives of young people.
In view of the high number of risk assessments and the need for greater awareness in society, it is gratifying that Vienna is actively working to improve the situation for children. The city is also intensively looking for foster parents in order to increase the number of crisis foster carers; There are currently only 31 crisis foster parents who play a critical role in the system.
It remains to be hoped that the planned measures and the sensitization of specialists and the population will help ensure that children in Vienna can enjoy a safe and protected childhood.