In Germany, several hundred children and young people end up on the streets every year. The charity Off Road Kids has set itself the goal of helping street children and homeless young people who are living in precarious situations. Since being established in 1994, the organization has permanently removed more than 5,000 young people from the streets. The main aim is to return them to their families. If this is not possible, it helps the runaways to find a new home, such as at the children’s home in Bad Dürrheim in the Black Forest. Off Road Kids is the only charity for street children in Germany that operates across the country. It has its own street work centers in Berlin, Cologne, Dortmund, and Hamburg.

Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall has been supporting Off Road Kids since 2008, reflecting its mission statement ‘Creating and maintaining a home together’. As well as its work on the streets and in its centers, Off Road Kids has developed a range of additional services, including an emergency advice hotline for young people and services for parents whose children are threatening to run away or have already done so. Off Road Kids has also set up Germany’s first virtual street work center.