Child welfare, 2003

Most of the children, about 29 250 received only assistance while living at home, such as visit homes, kindergartens and people selected to support the child. About 6 750 children and youths were under the protective care of the Child Welfare Service during 2003, and eight out of ten - 81 per cent of these children - were placed in foster homes. The others were placed in institutions or in other care. There is still more boys than girls receiving assistance from the Child Welfare Service, 31.5 compared to 28.8 per 1000 children below 18 years of age. The last couple of years the number of girls receiving assistance has increased mostly. This is the matter both for figures account for the whole year , and figures for the close of the year .

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. On turning 18 the children are no longer under protective care by definition. They then receive assistance in the home, even though a lot of these youths are still placed in foster homes. The number of children placed in foster homes as a type of assistance, has increased each year, from about 300 in 1993 to almost 1 800 children at the close of 2003. 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 about 700 at the close of 2003.

About 27 350 children and youths received assistance from the Child Welfare Service at the close of 2003. This is about 1000 more than in the previous year, an increase of 3.8 per cent. The majority, 21 650 children, received assistance in the home. This is about 800 more than at the close of 2002, an increase of 3.9 per cent. At the close of 2003 almost 5 700 children were under protective care. Most of these children, about 4 900, were placed in foster homes. About 550 children stayed in orphanages and about 200 children lived in other care outside their home. At the close of 2003 there were almost 200 more children under protective care compared with the close of 2002, an increase of 3.3 per cent. From 2001 to 2002 the increase was 4.8 per cent.

Largest 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 2003, about 2 150 youths aged 18-22 were registered as clients. This is about 150 more than at the close of 2002, an increase of 9.1 per cent.

Large differences among the counties

At the close of 2003, an average of 23 children out of 1 000 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 28 clients per 1000 children. Telemark county, Buskerud county, Finnmark county and Nordland county also rank high with 26, clients per 1000 children. The lowest client rates are in Akershus county with 18. Sogn og Fjordane county, Vestfold county. Vest-Agder county also ranks low with 21 children receiving assistance per 1000 children.

Stavanger on the top

Among the four largest cities in Norway, Stavanger has the highest number of clients with 31 per 1000 children below age 18 at the close of 2003. In comparison Oslo had 25. Bergen and Trondheim both had 24 clients per 1000 children below age 18.

Tables:

• Table 1 Children under protection 31 December, by type of assistance and county. 1987-2003
• Table 2 Children under protection 31 December, by age and type of assistance. 2003
• Table 3 Children under protection during the year and at the end of the year under protection, by type of assistance. 2003. Municipality
• 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. 1987-2003
• Table 5 Children under protection during the year, by age and type of assistance. 2003. (The table was corrected 15 September 2004)
• 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.1997-2003
• Table 7 Children under protection during the year, by type of care and county. 1987-2003
• Table 8 New cases of children placed under protection, by age and reason for intervention. 2003 (The table was released 1 November 2004)
• Table 9 New cases of children placed under protection, by age and type of assistance. 2003 (The table was released 1 November 2004)
• Table 10 New cases of children placed under protection, by age and who reported the case. 2003 (The table was released 1 November 2004)