Child and youth welfare facilities XX  There must be crisis centres throughout Austria. XX  The measures to relieve the crisis centres in Vienna must be strengthened. XX  Crisis places must be expanded to meet demand accordingly. 2.3.8 Necessary limitation of group size There have been enormous differences in group size throughout Austria to date. However, awareness of the problem has now developed in the Laender as the competent authorities for child and youth welfare and protection – after long-standing demands by the NPM. In Burgenland, only ten children can be taken care of per socio-pedagogical group and eight per socio-therapeutic group after the transition phase expires in October 2024 at the latest. In Lower Austria, the maximum group size will be only nine as opposed to the ten allowed to date. The maximum group size in Salzburg has been eight for quite some time, and in Tyrol the number is nine or eight in socio-therapeutic groups. In Vorarlberg too, there are nine children per residential group. Differences are decreasing In Carinthia, the regulation on the Children’s and Youth Assistance Act is still in progress. The permissible group size amongst others should be stipulated therein. Currently, between eight and twelve places are approved in existing shared accommodations. This number is between eight and ten in socio-therapeutic groups. The NPM deems group size of over ten children as inappropriate and recommends stipulating a lower maximum group size. Styria is also requested to amend the implementation regulation of the Children’s and Youth Assistance Act even if the maximum occupancy of 13 children is only applied in exceptions according to the Land. Carinthia needs regulation In Vienna, the regulation on the Children’s and Youth Assistance Act states that group size shall not exceed eight children per residential group. However, this does not apply for already approved facilities. Municipal department MA 11 has limited group size to eight in its facilities. The NPM criticises that ten children can still be taken care of per group in existing private facilities in which most of the children with special behavioural disorders and psychiatric diagnoses live, even if this is only the case in a few shared accommodations according to the City of Vienna. 80