The German Children's Hospice Association
In 1990, the German Children's Hospice Association (DKHV e.V.) was founded by six parents of children with life-limiting illnesses. Since then, the association's scope of services has expanded considerably.
It has approximately 4,300 members, including families receiving support or otherwise connected to the association, as well as volunteers, donors, supporters, and network partners. As a nationwide professional organization, the DKHV e.V. represents the interests of two-thirds of the outpatient and inpatient children's and youth hospice services in Germany.
With approximately 1,400 volunteers and 175 full-time and part-time staff members, the DKHV e.V. supports more than 900 families throughout Germany. It provides support to children, adolescents, and young adults with life-limiting illnesses, their parents, relatives, and siblings from the time of diagnosis, through life, during the dying process, and beyond the children's death.
The board of directors of the German Children's Hospice Association (DKHV e.V.) is elected by the general assembly for a five-year term and consists of two full-time members (one responsible for contents and one for business administration). Together, they form the basis for sustainable and strategic management of the association, encompassing not only programmatic work but also financial planning security.
The DKHV e.V. Board of Trustees advises and oversees the work of the board of directors on behalf of the general assembly, similar to a supervisory board, and also serves as an advisory body to the general assembly. It comprises a minimum of seven and a maximum of eleven members, all of whom must be members of the German Children's Hospice Association. They serve on a voluntary basis for a five-year term.
As a nationwide specialist organization, the DKHV e.V. also provides a forum for families in similar situations to exchange experiences and network. Through its full-time and volunteer staff, it supports families and strengthens self-help initiatives. The participation of families is a central principle of the association; it is reflected in the co-determination process through the general assembly, participation in projects, and work in various committees of the German Children's Hospice Association (DKHV e.V.).
Through its regional and national public relations work, it promotes an open and informed approach to the topic of "dying and death of children" and represents the interests of affected families in society and politics. As a professional organization, it develops standards for children's and youth hospice care in Germany and advocates for their implementation. It operates within a large network and aims to strengthen the structures of children's and youth hospice care nationwide; to this end, it conducts surveys of families and supports and initiates scientific research projects.