The media have recently reported on several cases involving minority families in which youth care agencies intervened because the emotional and physical development of childresn was at stake. The dominant secular societal and legal norms concerning the development of children into balanced individuals appear to clash with religious and cultural norms. Preliminary research has confirmed that childcare workers and judges lack an evaluative framework through which to determine how the interests of society and parents should be weighed against interests relating to the future identity of the child. This multidisciplinary research project investigates the way(s) and extent to which state agencies should take account of religious and cultural influences upon the development of children's identities when taking child protection measures. The aims are twofold. Firstly, to establish building blocks for a framework that enables professionals in the field to identify and understand the multiple components that constitute the complex cases involving minorities in which child protection measures are considered. Secondly, to provide a solid foundation for future research into the legitimacy of state interventions in cases concerning child protection in today's pluralistic European societies.