No Reimbursement Obligation of the Home Canton for Placement of a Minor Child Outside the Home

Facts

[L.] , born in 1994, lived with his mother in [X.] /SO until October 2010. From February 2010, he attended the [C.] day school in Solothurn, but had to be absent from classes more frequently due to illness and mental health issues. On 17 October 2010, he was transferred to the [Y.] /BE school and youth home, with the goal of completing his schooling by the end of July 2012 and then starting a vocational training program. The Canton of Solothurn demanded reimbursement of the school and home costs from the Canton of Zurich as the competent home canton, which the Canton of Zurich disputed.

Considerations

The Federal Court decided that despite his placement in the [Y.] school home, [L.] continued to share the domicile of his custodial mother in [X.] /SO. Pursuant to Art. 7 para. 3 lit. c in conjunction with paras. 1 and 2 of the SocRA, he did not establish an independent domicile at the location of the school home.…