In the current dispute over the legitimacy of the welfare state, it is by no means only about the much-discussed pension of the doctor's spouse and the entitlement to rehabilitation or the psychosocial support of the lawyer. Rather, it is again about blatant poverty and underfunding. The underlying scandal is most clearly illustrated by the topic of this volume - the poverty of children and adolescents. Here, opportunities are destroyed, new inequalities are solidified, and countless perspectives are called into question. This is the stark opposite of the much-touted necessity for future investments. The editors thank the authors for their collaborative work and Wolfram Joos as well as Ingo Fuchs for their proactive support. Tübingen, January 1997 Ulrich Otto and Eberhard Bolay Poverty of adolescents as a challenge for social work and social policy.