The International Social Service (ISD) is the German member of the international network International Social Service (ISS). Its task is to build bridges between the various social systems in transnational family conflicts and child and adult protection cases across national borders in order to ensure the most seamless protection possible. Members and working partners of the global ISS network are government agencies and NGOs from more than 120 countries.

ISD was founded in 1930 as part of the migration movement and has been a division of the German Association for Public and Private Welfare (DV) since 2001. The DV is the joint forum of local authorities and welfare organisations and their institutions, the federal states, private providers of social services and representatives of academia for all areas of social work, social policy and social law in Germany.

Activities and tasks of ISD

ISD advises social work professionals, authorities, courts, lawyers and private individuals throughout Germany free of charge on legal and socio-educational issues with an international dimension in the field of child and youth welfare. The focus of ISD advice is on international family conflicts and transnational child protection. Since 2011, ISD has been mandated by the Federal Government as the provider of the "Central Contact Point for Cross-Border Childhood Conflicts and Mediation" (ZAnK). ZAnK offers information and advice for professionals and for those affected by cross-border family conflicts. It provides counsel on the legal and social aspects that need to be considered in cross-border family conflicts that can escalate into child abduction. Above all, ZAnK raises awareness for the specifications of cross-border conflicts in custody and contact issues.

In addition, ISD carries out casework when cooperation between specialist social agencies across borders is necessary. The individual case work concerns, for example, cross-border child protection and the collection of social reports on children and families in Germany and abroad. 

ISD's interdisciplinary team consists of social workers and specialists from the fields of education, children's rights, child protection and law.

In addition to counselling and conducting casework, ISD does policy work in the form of statements on current draft legislation and recommendations for professionals. Furthermore, ISD regularly offers education and training in digital and face-to-face formats as well as the opportunity for open consultation for professionals in digital meetings.