Giving presents or saving money

Does the Christ Child also bring presents in care homes?

Birgit Obermüller from the Neos party confronted LR Eva Pawlata with the question of whether there are gifts for children in care homes.

(Bild: Konstantin Yuganov - stock.adobe)

Many children live in institutions and celebrate their birthdays and Christmas there. But do the children also receive presents on these occasions? Do the budgets allow for this? The Tyrolean Neos want to know what the situation is regarding presents.

Not all children in Tyrol are happy at home and therefore have to move into a family-like facility run by the state - for example, if their parents are no longer able to look after their children due to financial difficulties or if they have died and there are no family members who can look after them.

Written request to the provincial councillor for social affairs
According to information from "Tiroler Krone", it does not always happen that children and young people in care receive birthday or Christmas presents or there are cases in which caregivers pool their resources to buy presents. LA Birgit Obermüller (Neos) wants clarity on this and has submitted a written question to LR Eva Pawlata (SPÖ). "I would like to know whether caregivers in residential child and youth welfare facilities have a budget at their disposal to be able to buy children and young people such gifts or similar", explains the Member of Parliament.

"65,340.47 euros for nine children in one facility"
LR Pawlata has already provided the answer. "The standard daily rate model provides for client-related material and care costs. These are costs that are used for children - for example, clothing, school and training requirements, travel expenses, food, medical care and pocket money," she explains, "using the example of a socio-educational residential community, an amount of EUR 65,340.47 is available for nine children. Birthday presents for children and young people can be taken from this calculation."

I asked her whether there was still a budget available for Christmas presents before Christmas. She replied in the negative and told me that the carers have to make do with the budget available to them.

Birgit Obermüller (Neos)

Bild: Sabine Holaubek Photodesign

An answer that was not detailed enough for LA Obermüller. She recently sought a personal meeting with LR Pawlata. "I asked her whether there was still a budget available for Christmas presents before Christmas. She said no and told me that the caregivers have to make do with the budget available to them. And that some children also have parents in the background. However, I can't imagine that they are financially strong - when their children are in full education," explains the pink politician.

For this reason, she and her party colleagues decided to "donate something to a home before Christmas".