Child welfare, 2001

Most of the children, eight out of ten, received assistance while living at home, such as visit homes, people selected to support the child and kindergartens. About 6 200 children and youths were under the protective care of the Child Welfare Service during 2000, and 83 per cent of these children were placed in foster homes. The others were placed in institutions or in other care.

25 900 children received assistance at the close of 2001

About 25 900 children and youths received assistance from the Child Welfare Service at the close of 2001. This is about 1 100 more than in the previous year, an increase of 4.3 per cent. The vast majority, 20 600 children, received assistance in the home. This is about 950 more than at the close of 2000, an increase of 4.8 per cent. At the close of 2001 about 5 250 children were under protective care. Most of these children, about 4550, were placed in foster homes. About 500 children stayed in orphanages and about 200 children lived in other care outside their home.

Increase in placement outside home as assistance

The Act relating to child welfare services allows children to be placed outside the home without any decision being made by the county committee for social cases to assume protective care. Therefore there are more children placed outside the home than there are children under protective care. The number of children placed in foster homes as a type of assistance, has increased each year from about 300 in 1993 to about 1 600 children at the close of 2001. The number of children living in children's homes, as a type of assistance, has also increased in recent years from about 150 in 1993 to almost 750 at the close of 2001.

More children under protective care

At the close of 2001 about 5 250 children were placed in protective care. This is 125 more than in 2000, an increase of 2.4 per cent. From 1999 to 2000 the increase was 3.8 per cent. On turning 18 the children are no longer under protective care by definition. They then receive assistance in the home, even though a third of these youths (32 per cent) were youths still placed in foster homes.

Biggest increase among the oldest

The growth is partly due to the increase of the age limit from 20 to 23 in the Child Welfare Service Act. At the close of 2001, about 1 900 youths of age 18-22 were registered as clients. This is about 150 more than at the close of 2000, an increase of 8.8 per cent.

Big differences among the counties

At the close of 2001 an average of 23 children out of 1000 under age 18 received assistance, compared with 22 in the previous year. According to the census, we find the majority of children under the protection of the Child Welfare Service to be in Østfold county with 29 clients per 1000 children. Nordland county also ranks high with 26, and Finnmark, Rogaland and Telemark counties all rank at 25 clients per 1000 children. The lowest client rates are in Akershus and Sogn og Fjordane counties with 18. Oppland county also ranks low with 19 children receiving assistance per 1000 children.

Stavanger on the top

Among the four biggest cities in Norway, Stavanger has the largest number of clients with 30 clients per 1000 children under age 18 at the close of 2001, and 29 in the previous year. Oslo and Bergen had 24 at the close of 2001, and Trondheim had respectively 22 clients per 1000 children under age 18.

Tables:

• Table 1 Children under protection 31 December, by type of assistance and county. 1987-2001
• Table 2 Children under protection 31 December, by age and type of assistance. 2001
• Table 3 Children under protection during the year and at the end of the year under protection, by type of assistance. Municipality. 2001
• Table 4 Children under protection during the year, at the end of the year and new cases of children placed under protection, by type of assistance and county. 1987-2001
• Table 5 Children under protection during the year, by age and type of assistance. 1997-2001
• Table 6 Children under protection during the year, at the end of the year and new cases of children placed under protection. Figures for sex and age. Absolute figures and per 1 000 children 0-17 years.1997-2001
• Table 7 Children under protection during the year, by type of care and county. 1987-2001
• Table 8 New cases of children placed under protection, by age and reason for intervention. 1987-2001
• Table 9 New cases of children placed under protection, by age and type of assistance. 1997-2001
• Table 10 New cases of children placed under protection, by age and who reported the case. 2001
• Table 11 Children under protection during the year, by age and size of municipality. 2001