Child welfare service still organized within social services

One out of four municipalities (local governments) in Norway had not established separate positions for child welfare services at the end of 1995. The majority of local governments with no earmarked positions for child welfare services are small municipalities with under 5,000 inhabitants.

In these municipalities child welfare services are carried out by social workers who perform all the duties assigned to a social services office. In six of seven cases the child welfare service is still organized as part of the social services office. A total of 131 municipalities, or 25 per cent, stated that they do not have earmarked positions for child welfare services.

Organizational structures within social services offices do, however, vary as 120 municipalities, or 23 per cent, have organized their child welfare service within their social services offices as a separate group headed by a child welfare services officer. A total of 191 municipalities, or 37 per cent, have earmarked positions, but no group or group officer.

By the end of last year, only 22 municipalities had organized their child welfare service as a separate department geared to the needs of children and adolescents.

Child Welfare Service, 1995.

Statistics are published every year in the Weekly Bulletin of Statistics. More information: Trygve Kalve, tel. +47 21 09 46 49, e-mail: tak@ssb.no and Johanna Sørøy, tel. +47 21 09 46 41, e-mail: jsr@ssb.no.

Weekly Bulletin is. 43, 1996