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Suddenly everything is different… How can Julian have a good future? – 2

Part 2 of 2

Follow-up FGC – four weeks later

A good four weeks later, an appointment was scheduled with the family court to determine Julian’s future support. The youth welfare office invited the family to a follow-up meeting with the following questions:

• How can the family support Julian on his path in life?
• Julian would like to continue living in the house he has moved into with his mother. What can the family do to ensure that this is still possible?

This appointment also only had a few days’ notice. However, the preparation was easier because all the contacts were already known and they were already familiar with FGC as an instrument. As the legal situation was so complex, the youth welfare office was represented by three employees: social worker, lawyer and guardianship department. During the clarification of the appointment, it turned out that Julian’s grandmother had also passed away in the meantime. This was certainly also a hard blow for Julian and the family.

The two aunts were only able to attend the appointment online. In the follow-up meeting, everyone was concentrated and the complicated legal issues were explained to the family. The outcome of the family phase was unusual, because the tasks described were not for the family to take on, but rather tasks were delegated to the professionals. This corresponded to the legal situation and the professionals accepted this. It was painful to learn that Julian’s wish to stay in the house might not be realized.

A family council was organized twice for Julian and his family under great time pressure. This worked because everyone was immediately willing to participate. They put aside many concerns because they knew that Julian’s well-being was more important to them. The youth welfare office supported this case with great commitment and made it possible.

There was certainly a prevailing feeling of powerlessness in the face of death, but also because the legal framework gave the family no room for manoeuvre. She was able to ask questions and make suggestions, but was then dependent on the work of the specialists. However, they were also able to experience the vital support from the youth welfare office. Perhaps they were also strengthened by the fact that they were not alone during this time, but went through it together and were able to create a framework for Julian’s future.

The funeral of Julian’s mother and grandmother was about two weeks after the follow-up FGC.

A story from Germany
Written by Jochen Ratmann – FGC Coordinator in Stuttgart and translated with DeepL.com (free version) and Marion Brunner, Familienrat-Büro Stuttgart, Germany