Transnational professionalism in child welfare in Germany

Abstract

The field of child protection is closely interwoven with the national welfare state and its institutions. Nowadays, both the everyday lives of families and the professional work are shaped by transnational activities. This article presents the results of a study on child protection services in Germany working across national borders. Although regulated by international law, there are institutional and organisational gaps challenging professionals in this field. We can find processes of border setting and border crossing by professional social workers at the same time. Two ideal types of transnational situations are presented that reflect the variations of professional activities.