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Paper

How do the child welfare services in Norway work with young people leaving care?

abstract

Background and introduction

In Norway there are about 450 local councils and most of them have their own Child Welfare Service. There are great variations among the services when it comes to organisation, number of clients and employees, etc. This paper will describe and discuss the work of Child Welfare Services in Norway concerning young people leaving care. It concerns especially the after care services for young people between 18 and 23 with a focus on the routines and reasons as to why they do or not receive such services.

The act relating to Child Welfare Services in Norway states that services implemented before the child has reached the age of 18 years may be maintained or replaced by other services until the child has reached the age of 23 if the child consents to this. This implies that it is not a right to receive services after reaching 18 years, only a possibility. The total number of youths receiving support from Child Welfare Services is divided in about half per year from 17 years. As an example:

  • A total of 1,174 young people aged 18 received services (by 31.12.2006) compared to only 665 aged 19, and 322 aged twenty.
  • A total of 315 young people aged 18 lived in foster homes (by 31.12.2006) compared to 195 19 year-olds.

Young people leaving care need support (Clausen and Kristofersen 2008, Stein 2004), but it is debatable as to whether they receive after care services that they require.

Purpose

In this paper I shall present the results from a research project on the work of Child Welfare Services concerning young people leaving care in Norway (Oterholm 2008). The research was an assignment for the Norwegian Foster Care Organisation with funding from Helse and Rehabilitering.

Methods

A questionnaire was sent to all the Child Welfare Services in Norway (413). The response rate was 65%. The results presented include answers from Child Welfare Services with youths between 18 and 23 receiving measures by December 31 in 2006.

The Child Welfare Services in the study represent the variation of Child Welfare Services in Norway, including small and large services, services from the bigger cities and small places and services from all over the country. The number of young people above 18 years receiving support varied from 1 to 123 at the services involved.

The Child Welfare Services were asked about the routines and practices concerning young people leaving care in Norway as well as the child welfare workers' considerations concerning which services were provided and why.

Key findings

About two thirds of the services said they had a systematic practice concerning care leavers between 18 and 23 years, but only 28% had written routines for their work with this group. Continuing foster care, housing with support and financial support were the most common types of assistance given. All Child Welfare Services reported to give information to the youths about the possibility of continued measures after 18 years of age. Fewer than 50% of the Child Welfare Services reported to give information to the foster parents about what child welfare can offer after the young people reach 18 years. 95% said they examined the young people's needs and wishes concerning the transition to adulthood.

The main reasons why young people receive services after 18 years of age are that they need it and want it. The most reported reason why young people do not receive support is because they do not want it. Only about one quarter of the Child Welfare Services reported that the young people did not need measures as a reason why they did not get it.

When asked about strengths and weaknesses, several of the Child Welfare Services said that it was difficult to encourage young people to continue accepting their support. Some also commented that they did not have enough time to talk with the youths. Other reasons for not providing services, which were reported from about three quarters of those surveyed, were: young people are mainly interested in financial support, even though Child Welfare Services claim this is not enough; other state services could give more relevant measures; and youths are of the opinion that they do not need help.

Lack of financial resources was only reported as a reason from 3% of the services. But answers like the following indicate that the financial situation still may have an influence: one fifth reported that child welfare does not provide services that the young people need, one tenth said that the repayment from the state ceased when the youth passed 20 and one third said it concerned young people with disabilities.

Conclusion and implications

In conclusion, the Child Welfare Services seem to give the information they are obliged to give and most have a systematic practice. Consequently one would think that more youths would receive after care services. The need of care leavers points in the same direction, as well as the fact that young people living with their birthparents also need support and get it well past their 18th birthday.

The study does not give a clear answer to why many young people do not receive services after age 18, but some indications could be made. Perhaps the lack of information given to foster parents has an impact on what youths really understand of the information and possibilities of continued services. The lack of written routines may indicate that this group has not been focused on. Another reason could be that continuation of services has to be negotiated and agreed. Some young people have special needs because of their history, but they may not think so themselves. They want freedom and not to rely on Child Welfare Services. To make sure that the youths know what they agree to, time is needed and in this respect the relation between the youth and the child welfare worker is important as well. The social workers trade union states that there has been an increase in cases which have not been followed up by a corresponding increase in staff.

Key references

Clausen, S.E. and Kristofersen, L.B. (2008) Barnevernklienter i Norge 1990 - 2005. En longitudinell studie. NOVA Rapport nr 3.

Oterholm, I. (2008) Barneverntjenestens arbeid med ungdom i alderen 18 - 23 år. Diakonhjemmet college nr. 1.

Stein, M. (2004) What works for young people leaving care? Ilford: Barnardos.

Contact details

Inger Oterholm, Diakonhjemmet College, Postboks 184, Vinderen, 0319 Oslo, Norway.

Email: oterholm@diakonhjemmet.no

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