The specialist service for children, young people and families has the task of providing the necessary services in a timely and sufficient manner. Youth welfare planning is the prerequisite for the specialist service to be able to fulfill this task. The specialist service does not have to offer all services itself, as according to the law, the services of independent providers have priority (subsidiarity principle). Accordingly, it is the task of youth welfare planning to coordinate the services of independent providers and to supplement them with the services of the specialist service in order to provide a needs- and social area-oriented overall package for all areas of youth welfare.

Youth welfare planning is networking. The success of youth welfare planning and thus the shaping of the community of responsibility in the work with children and young people is determined by the cooperation and participation of the stakeholders.