What Role Does Discrimination Play in Child and Youth Welfare Services?

The ways in which discrimination shapes lived realities in Germany have increasingly become the subject of academic research. However, empirical evidence remains limited in the field of child and youth welfare services. Against this backdrop, the project examines the role that individual attitudes and structural conditions within child and youth welfare services play in decision-making processes related to child protection. Particular attention is given to the practice of taking children into care by youth welfare offices, which is considered a central yet highly intrusive protective measure. In recent years, civil society actors and media reports have repeatedly pointed to cases in which families - especially those with experiences of migration or racism - have been affected by problematic or unlawful care orders.

This research project therefore investigates whether racist and discriminatory attitudes and structures exist within child and youth welfare services and how these may influence decisions regarding the removal of children and the provision of support services. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining case studies and experimental vignette designs with qualitative interviews conducted with affected families, practitioners, and experts. It examines how different dimensions of social inequality - such as racism, classism, and gender roles - may intersect and interact within the context of child protection proceedings.