More Than One Million People Work for Caritas
Our staff of 520,186 professionals are what make the services, centres and institutions of Caritas possible. They provide nursing care, counselling, early childhood education and advice to almost eleven million people every year. Their work is supported by the efforts of 30,000 job trainees, students and interns, approximately 10,200 young men performing community service as an alternative to military service and almost 3,500 volunteers doing a year of social service. 81.2 per cent of Caritas’ workforce are women.
The approximately 500,000 volunteers who work in more than 3,600 organised groups form one of the pillars on which Caritas’ work rests. They volunteer in local parishes, hospitals, nursing homes, neighbourhood social care associations or assist schoolchildren with their homework.
Roughly 25,000 Centres and Institutions All Over Germany
Caritas has roughly 6,000 centres and institutions in Germany which are legally independent care providers. They are responsible for their own budgets and have their own supervisory boards. Additionally, roughly 4,000 parishes in the Caritas network provide day nurseries and playschools for children. All together, we have 24,939 centres and institutions in Germany with the capacity for more than one million people.
Support for Children and Youths
Approximately 42,754 full-time and 58,304 part-time workers provide care and support to children and youths in our 11,513 centres and homes. Our facilities include 603 homes, 9,774 day nurseries and playschools for children and 936 child guidance centres, family social education and support centres, school social work services and other walk-in and open services for children and young adults.
Family Support
Caritas has 949 centres providing family support services. 245 family care centres and rural advice centres help families in need. We have 291 advice centres helping couples, families and people with everyday problems and 273 family planning centres providing pregnant women with help and advice. Caritas also has 59 women’s refuges and 46 family holiday retreats.
Support for the Elderly
Supporting and caring for the elderly is becoming more and more important as our society continues to grow older. Caritas has a total of 3,150 centres and homes with a total capacity for 129,169 people. 34,043 full-time and 68,289 part-time carers work to provide long-term and short-term care for elderly people through domiciliary care, day care, mobile meals and mobile social care.
Health and Medical Advice
Caritas has 2,614 health centres and institutions with 112,853 beds and places. We have 457 hospitals, 1,068 counselling and advice centres, and 78 preventive health and rehabilitation centres and recreation homes for adults and children. Caritas also has 58 hospices with inpatient units and 102 day hospice centres offering hospice and palliative advice and care.
Disability and Mental Health Advice and Care
Caritas has 2,078 centres and homes with 112,135 places offering support for people with disabilities and people in need of mental health services. We have 512 residential homes for people with physical or mental disabilities and 300 residential homes for people with mental health difficulties. We also have 272 day nurseries and schools providing care and education for 19,535 children with special needs.
Additional Support
Caritas also has 286 residential homes for homeless people and people with substance abuse problems, 737 asylum and immigration advice centres, 338 missions providing clothing, furniture and food, and 351 general advice centres which are primarily visited by people who are poor. 1,136 people work nationwide in our 132 advice hotlines, 734 debt counselling services and 270 travellers’ aid services (helping rail travellers in need of assistance).
Administration
8,503 people work in the administration offices of our national, diocesan, regional, community and specialised charity organisations. Half of our administrative staff works part time.
Further Training and Education
In our 648 further education and training institutions, Caritas provides people with the training they need for care professions primarily in the areas of health, youth, family, elderly and disability care and support. Education institutions range from elderly care schools to school support organisations (Berufsförderwerke) and universities of applied sciences.
Numbers of the year 2006