The Office for Social Services (AfSD) within the Senator for Labor, Social Affairs, Youth and Integration is to be reorganized for greater clarity. Therefore, the current six social service centers will be consolidated into four. In addition, four specialized service units will be established. The goal is to achieve clear responsibilities, consolidate expertise, and improve collaboration.
The plans, which stem from the findings of an organizational review commissioned by the Senator, were recently presented to the staff of the AfSD (Office for Social Services). For the residents of Bremen, this will hardly change anything. The social centers will remain as important points of contact in the city's neighborhoods, thus ensuring continued local advice and support.
The family centers, parenting advice centers, and the "Arriving in the Neighborhood" counseling centers will remain at their current locations. According to current plans, nothing will change in Bremen-North and Bremen-South. Services for senior citizens are also unaffected by the reorganization of the social centers. "We want to simplify structures without sacrificing accessibility for citizens. Personal, on-site counseling will continue. At the same time, responsibilities will be clarified and services organized more transparently," said Dr. Claudia Schilling, Senator for Labor, Social Affairs, Youth, and Integration.
Distributed services are combined
In addition to the four social centers, four specialized services are to be established. The existing services for participation and refugees will remain in place. These will be joined by the specialized services for young people and families, as well as social services. The young people and families service will consolidate services such as parental allowance, child support advances, legal guardianship, and official guardianship and foster care. "Where responsibilities change, we ensure good accessibility by bus and train and provide timely information," explained Timon Grönert, Head of the Bremen Office for Social Services.
The new Social Services Department will also consolidate previously distributed central services, including the Central Housing Office, central financial assistance, and the guardianship authority. Bremen residents will thus benefit from clearer responsibilities and improved professional networking. "We are bringing together services that are currently located in different places. It will be easier for people to see where they can find specific support. And it will be easier for our professionals to coordinate directly and find effective solutions together," said Grönert.
The reorganization is to be implemented gradually by the end of 2028. A first milestone will be the new AfSD location at Breitenweg 49, which is expected to be ready for occupancy by the end of 2027.
Source: Senate Press Office, The Office for Social Services is reorganizing, September 28, 2026
