In 2019, the Palatin Foundation launched the national project ‘Foster children – next generation’ to improve the situation of foster children in Switzerland. The initial aim was to close gaps in research and stimulate interregional dialogue between researchers and practitioners. The completion of project phase II (research phase) yielded results that attracted national attention. A total of four projects have now been awarded funding to implement and transfer the findings into practice over the next 1.5 years (project phase III).
The call for proposals for project phase III focused on the following areas
- ‘Closing gaps in practice relating to the involvement, support and process guidance of birth parents’
- ‘Identifying success factors for kinship care relationships in different regions of Switzerland’
- ‘Counteracting prejudice against foster care (destigmatisation)’
The following projects have now been approved for implementation:
- Fachstelle Kinderbetreuung Luzern (Children’s Services) in collaboration with Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH Social Work: Being a parent: conditions for successful cooperation with biological parents
- Office for Youth and Career Counselling, Canton of Zurich in collaboration with ZHAW Institute for Childhood, Youth and Family: Needs-based support for kinship care
- SOFA Foundation together with ZHAW Institute of Childhood, Youth and Family: ‘netzwerkkind’ – a project to recruit foster parents from the family or social circle of the foster child
- ETAT DE FRIBOURG, Service de l’enfance et de la jeunesse
- Youth Welfare Office of the Canton of Fribourg in collaboration with the Haute école de travail social Fribourg (HETS-FR) and the Observatoire latin de l’enfance et de la jeunesse (OLEJ): Le « carnet de voyage » comme outil pour les placements intrafamiliaux.
The Palatin Foundation selected the projects based on the quality of the concepts submitted. As a result, the focus areas of the call for proposals are not reflected 1:1 in the selected projects. Cross-cutting themes such as ‘destigmatisation’ and ‘participation’ are integrated into the practical projects as far as possible.
The cross-cutting theme of ‘destigmatising care relationships’ will be addressed in all projects. In addition, the Palatin Foundation will be running further activities in parallel with the practical projects.
The project will run until autumn 2027 and will conclude with a public event.
