210174 SE BAK13 SE Staatstätigkeit, Policy- und Governanceanalysen (2023S)

Child welfare is an important policy field, even though many aspects of it remain understudied. Child welfare refers to a system of state-provided services to supplement or substitute parental care and supervision. Such a system is deemed necessary to protect and safeguard children and their interests, as some parents or private carers are unable or unwilling to fulfil this role. In such cases, laws and policies allow the state to intervene in the otherwise private realm of family life, through support offerings, control mechanisms or the most intrusive intervention, the removal of a child from her home.

How countries implement child welfare services varies significantly, with a basic distinction between those that focus on supporting families (service-oriented systems) and those emphasising risk management (risk-oriented systems). Just as cultural, social and legal factors shape how children are raised in different countries, such factors also influence how child welfare policies are framed and implemented by different states.

The course begins by exploring the role of the welfare state in protecting children and goes on to consider some of the core policies in child welfare systems in Europe. By using different methods of policy analysis, it investigates how policies are shaped by cultural, social and legal factors, and reviews the roles played by the elected governments, the general public and the media in affecting child welfare policies.

The course is taught in four full-day seminars Seminars are interactive, with discussions based on the reading material and short case studies presented by the students to the group.