About us

Research into children, young people and families
at the interface between science, politics and professional practice

The German Youth Institute (DJI) is one of the biggest social science research institutes in Europe. For 60 years it has conducted research into the life situations of children, young people and families, advising national government, the German federal states and local authorities and providing key stimuli for professional practice.

Founded in 1963, the governing body of the institute is a non-profit association with members from the fields of politics, science and federations as well as child, youth and family welfare institutions.

The institute is mainly funded by the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) and to a lesser extent by the federal states of Germany. Additional project funding is provided by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as well as by foundations, the European Commission and science funding institutions.