Child welfare, 2002

About 6,550 children and youths were under the protective care of the Child Welfare Service during 2002, and 80 per cent of these children were placed in foster homes. The others were placed in institutions or in other care. Most of the children, eight out of ten, received assistance while living at home, such as visit homes, kindergartens and people selected to support the child.

Most received help in the homes

About 26,350 children and youths received assistance from the Child Welfare Service at the close of 2002. This is about 450 more than in the previous year, an increase of 1.8 per cent. The vast majority, 20 850 children, received assistance in the home. This is about 200 more than at the close of 2001, an increase of 1.0 per cent. At the close of 2002 about 5,500 children were under protective care. Most of these children, about 4,700, were placed in foster homes. About 500 children stayed in orphanages and about 300 children lived in other care outside their home.

Placing 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 2002. 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, but dropped slightly to about 700 at the close of 2002.

More children under protective care

At the close of 2002 about 5,500 children were placed in protective care. This is 250 more than in 2001, an increase of 4.8 per cent. From 2000 to 2001 the increase was 2.4 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 (29 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 2002, about 2,000 youths of age 18-22 were registered as clients. This is about 100 more than at the close of 2001, an increase of 5.5 per cent.

Big differences among the counties

At the close of 2002, an average of 23 children out of 1000 under age 18 received assistance, the same as 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. Telemark county also ranks high with 27, and Finnmark had 26 clients per 1000 children. The lowest client rates are in Akershus county with 18. Sogn og Fjordane county also ranks low with 20 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 31 clients per 1000 children under age 18 at the close of 2002, and 30 in the previous year. Oslo and Bergen had 24 at the close of 2002, and Trondheim had respectively 21 clients per 1000 children under age 18.

Tables:

• Table 1 Children under protection 31 December, by type of assistance and county. 1987-2002
• Table 2 Children under protection 31 December, by age and type of assistance. 2002
• Table 3 Children under protection during the year and at the end of the year under protection, by type of assistance. Municipality. 2002
• 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. 1987-2002
• Table 5 Children under protection during the year, by age and type of assistance. 2002
• 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.1997-2002
• Table 7 Children under protection during the year, by type of care and county. 1987-2002
• Table 8 Children under protection during the year, by age and size of municipality. 2002 (New 28 October 2003)
• Table 9 New cases of children placed under protection, by age and reason for intervention. 2002 (New 28 October 2003)
• Table 10 New cases of children placed under protection, by age and type of assistance. 2002 (New 28 October 2003)
• Table 11 New cases of children placed under protection, by age and who reported the case. 2002 (New 28 October 2003)