Deutscher Caritasverband Landesverband Bayern e. V.

The Landes-Caritasverband Bayern (LCV) is the association of all Caritas organisations in Bavaria. Caritas in general is the social service organisation of the Catholic Church. In Germany Caritas is a key stakeholder in the non-statutory social welfare system and an important provider of social services. The LCV exits since 1917 and is located in Munich (Germany). About 30 employees provide coordinating, lobbying, supporting and training services to all Caritas organisations in Bavaria for the diverse fields of social services: services for seniors, migration/integration services, services for people with disabilities, services for unemployed people, children and youth services, early childhood education, European issues, etc. As umbrella organisation the LCV is responsible for the coordination of Caritas activities, for information and counseling of its member organisations with regard to professional, organisational and economical questions, for quality assurance and quality development issues, for the representation towards churches, economy, politics and society, and for political lobbying. The LCV represents more than 6.000 services and about 90.000 professional staff members in Bavaria that belong to LCV´s member organisations. Member organisations are the seven Diocesan Caritas organisations and specialized Catholic organisation, e. g. Sozialdienst katholischer Frauen or Verband katholischer Kindertagesstätten. Another part of the Caritas structure in Bavaria are working groups of Catholic service providers, e. g. Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft katholische Jugendsozialarbeit). About one million clients are served per year by Caritas and its specialized organisations in Bavaria. One department of the 11 departments of the LCV is dedicated to European issues. This department`s mission is to promote European awareness and European competences among Caritas workers (professionals and volunteers), Caritas clients and Caritas organisations in Bavaria by information, counseling and training services with regard to European social and funding policies, by initiating and implementing European projects and by participating in European political processes as a member of the civil society. Since 2003 the LCV has gained experience in running several EU-funded projects, in sending and hosting individuals to and from other European countries, in raising awareness for the European dimension in the provision of social services, in developing a network with European partners and in training professional staff members in intercultural learning, in project management, in EU funding programs and guidelines and in specific EU policies (e. g. EU government support law, EU working plan for education and training).