Between 1926 and 1973, around 600 children were taken from their parents by the Pro Juventute Foundation with the help of authorities and placed in foster families, educational homes, labor institutions, psychiatric clinics, and prisons. The extensive study outlines which families were affected by the aid organization for the "children of the road" and how the removals were justified. Pro Juventute aimed to systematically dissolve so-called vagrant families. The interventions involved required the consent of the authorities. How they interpreted and applied the law is a central theme of this work. The author also explains why complaints and appeals against the guardianship measures were rarely successful. The study highlights the limitations of the "children of the road" initiative. Pro Juventute often failed to achieve its goal of dissolving families more frequently than intended. Until the early 1970s, there was hardly any fundamental criticism of the initiative, not even from the Federal Court. The discriminatory actions of Pro Juventute were supported by authorities and psychiatric experts, and praised by professionals and the media. Sara Galle examines the work of Pro Juventute in its contemporary context. She illustrates why the re-education measures could be maintained for so long despite early signs of failure, and offers new insights into the networks, discourses, and practices of Swiss youth welfare in the 20th century.