The study on adoption procedures in the canton of Zurich is concerned with the protective and risk factors during the process of growing up. The individual influencing factors are not considered in isolation as they can reinforce or offset each other. As of now, little knowledge is available on this interactive dimension.Initial SituationWhen evaluating an application for adopting a child, the competent authority bases its decision on various current factors concerning the future well-being of the child. National and international research literature offers a partially contradictory overview of factors affecting the well-being and development of adoptive children.ObjectiveThe goal of this research project is to provide the cantonal Central Authority of Adoption with an empirically substantiated data basis regarding the current situation as well as a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the protective and riskfactors in the adoption process. It is important that clearly defined prognosis values and effective support measures be researched under local conditions, taking into ac-count the experiences of those involved in the canton of Zurich.MethodologyThe research project is divided into four modules: The first module (questionnaires, quantitative, n=119) lasted from February 2009 to February 2010, the second module (interviews, qualitative, n=23) from Feb-ruary 2010 to February 2011. The third module is a second quantitative inquiry that serves as a basis for a data pool in 2014 and the fourth module is a second qualitative inquiry in 2015.