[Child guidance between counseling and official participation]

The introduction of the law about youth services has led to a coming closer of educational guidance services and the other institutions for youth services. This development is leading to a new discussion about the relationship between the educational services and the youth welfare office. There is a danger, by specific laws, the traditional working principles of educational guidance services, such as voluntary use and easy accessibility, might lose their importance. But only than can educational guidance be helpful for the other youth services if its principles of working remain valid. By examples of certain cases is shown, how cooperation might work between educational services and youth welfare department. The article tries to show a means of how to fulfil the demands of participation as required by the youth welfare law on the one hand and how to preserve the special institution of educational guidance on the other hand at the same time.