Transitions in and out of crisis : young people's and caregivers’ perspectives on child protection during and after COVID-19

Background: Societal crises and health emergencies can profoundly affect child protection (CP) systems, raising questions about preparedness and responses. The COVID-19 pandemic, as a prime example, highlighted concerns about family functioning and children's well-being as threats to health and economic challenges increased, combined with questions of ensuring adequate care and education during lockdowns. To understand the impact of COVID-19 and the adaptability of CP systems, it is essential to consider not only the resilience of established CP services but also perceptions and actions of young people and their caregivers. A German study by Witte and Kindler illustrated this by showing that existing CP services were primarily adapted to address pre-pandemic problems, without considering newly arising pandemic-related issues. Our qualitative study asked young people and caregivers using CP services how they perceived and managed problems and opportunities during COVID-19, and what it means for them in post-pandemic times. Objective: Our study explores challenges and resources of young people and caregivers in CP during the COVID-19 pandemic, how they coped with these challenges, and the role attributed to CP services. Methods: This qualitative study is based on semi-structured interviews with young people (aged 14–22) and caregivers involved in the Swiss CP system during the pandemic. In line with Grounded Theory Methodology, data collection and analysis are ongoing and follow an iterative, cyclical process. So far, seven interviews with young people and three with mothers have been conducted – findings presented are based on these interviews and further interviews are being conducted. Participants were recruited via child protection institutions, which facilitated contact in accordance with data protection requirements. Findings are contextualized by our meta-synthesis of qualitative studies on CP during and after COVID-19 (Affolter et al., 2025). This study is part of the ‘Child Protection in times of Covid-19 and beyond’ project, a segment of the ‘Covid-19 in Society’ National Research Programme funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). Findings: Our meta-synthesis indicates that remote schooling was predominantly perceived negatively, especially by young people. Interviews in our study highlighted specific reasons why this posed significant challenges for CP services. Remote schooling amplified pre-existing inequalities among other things due to limited space and technical equipment, caregivers’ capacity to support learning, and the unique circumstances in residential care. Additional challenges linked to CP services include managing proximity and distance in residential care under ‘social distancing’ rules and the impact of mask-wearing in residential care settings. Furthermore, Caregivers expressed the need for additional support and emphasized the importance of informal networks during the pandemic. Conclusions/implications: While not all emerging topics are directly linked to CP, there are many overlaps and consequences for CP services. These include schooling, care arrangements, household economics, influencing the living conditions and well-being of children and their families[KA1] . This study aims to amplify the voices of CP service users to strengthen CP services. Furthermore, our findings highlight the need for CP systems that are not only reactive but also proactively support families.