The Law on Special Social Services: A case study of policy translation in post-Soviet Kazakhstan

Concerned with the question of how transnational policy ideas settle in the post-
Soviet welfare context, this paper examines the introduction and institutionalization
of social services for families and children in Kazakhstan as a case of policy translation.
Social services as an institution were absent from the Soviet welfare system.
Among multiple institutions introduced in Kazakhstan over the past 20 years, the
Law on Special Social Services (2008) stands out as it indicates a paradigmatic
change in the institutional logic of child welfare provision. The Law resulted from
the concerted efforts of the Kazakhstani government agency, domestic nongovernmental
organizations, and transnational organizations. A closer look at the process of
drafting and adopting this Law offers insights into post-Soviet transnational social
policy, in particular, the following three dimensions: the interplay between agency
and the institutional environment, the distinct roles and interdependency of policy
actors, and the place of transnational ideas in institutional change.