Child removal proceedings in Switzerland

Abstract

The chapter examines child welfare removal proceedings in Switzerland. The legal basis of compulsory child welfare removals, the applying authorities, decision-making bodys and the respective proceedings are laid out. Attention is paid to variations across the 26 political and administrative units (cantons). Voluntary removals are examined with less detail due to a lack of legislation on this topic in the majority of the 26 cantons and to a corresponding lack of data and research. Statistics on child removals and on the number children in alternative care (limited to a small number of cantons) are included. Child welfare and child protection in Switzerland is contextualised by providing information on particularities of the political system (small scale federalism) and by setting Switzerland on the map of internationally used classificatory frameworks (child-protection-oriented vs. family-service-oriented systems, risk-oriented vs. service-oriented systems; developments towards a child-focused orientation).