Abstract
From taking away children without due process and abuse in foster homes to the inclusion
of experts in decision-making: Switzerland made significant changes in its child
placement policy since the 1970s. The long-standing conservative-authoritarian norm
dominating child welfare policies has been replaced by a child protection norm. Child
placement policy provision is situated at the subnational, the cantonal level. Hence,
we do not know how this norm change has arrived in the 26 cantons. The analysis
focuses on three cantons and six reforms. Governmental reports that accompany the
drafts entering parliament are analyzed using a qualitative content analysis. Results
show that governments argue path-dependent, trying to maintain their current systems.
Professionalization is furthermore primarily seen from a financial perspective. This implies
that emerging norms in social care policies clash with local pre-existing policies and
practices.
Reiss, Thomas