National child welfare and family counselling, 2005

The national child welfare service includes the initiatives that the municipal child welfare service wishes to use, but doesn’t control. Such initiatives include the placing of children in institutions, in reinforced foster homes and managing various intensive treatment initiatives in the home environment.

Fewer days in institutions

Preliminary figures show that more than NOK 2.7 billion was spent on places in child welfare institutions in 2005. A total of 560 100 treatment days were registered in 2005, compared with 592 100 in the previous year, which is a reduction of 5.4 per cent. The number of treatment days in different types of reinforced foster homes, family homes and emergency shelter homes increased last year by 67 000 days to 302 500 days, an increase of 28 per cent. The number of treatment days in home-based initiatives such as MST (Multisystemic Therapy) and PMT (Parent Management Training) increased by 19 300 days to 122 500 days, an increase of 19 per cent last year.

Major differences between the regions

At the end of 2005, a total of 4 381 children were receiving assistance from the national child welfare service, around the same number as the previous year. In Norway as a whole, 3.6 per 1 000 children aged less than 20 received assistance from the national child welfare service in 2005. The share per 1 000 children aged 0-19 is highest in Trondheim municipality and Oslo, with 5.6 and 5.2 per cent respectively. Region West and Region East are highest with 4.1 and 3.7 respectively. Region Middle is the region with least clients, at 2.2 per 1 000 children.

Fewer in institutions

Preliminary figures show that 1 472 children were in child welfare institutions at the end of 2005, compared with 1 621 children the previous year, a reduction of 9.2 per cent. This is related to the fact that stays in institutions during the course of the year increased from 4 027 in 2004 to 4 277 in 2005. The increase can indicate a greater flow factor and that stays in child welfare institutions have become shorter. The number of children in foster homes has, however, increased from almost 1 850 to more than 1 950 children, an increase of 5.4 per cent (this figure includes foster homes with a promise of reinforcement, family homes/juvenile families/§4-27 - placements and emergency shelter homes). The number of children in home-based initiatives also increased in the last year, from 876 at the end of 2004, to 942 in 2005, an increase of 7.5 per cent.

Different initiative profiles

Region West and Region North have the highest gross operating expenses for child welfare per capita aged 0-19, with NOK 4 288 and NOK 3 601 respectively. Both of these regions spent a relatively high proportion on institution placements, 76 and 77 per cent respectively. By way of comparison, in Region Middle, which spent the least per capita with NOK 2 173, only 65 per cent was spent on institution places for children and juveniles. The amount spent by Region South (NOK 3 052 per capita) on child welfare institutions was the lowest of all the regions. Sixty per cent of gross operating expenses went towards institution places, and a relatively high proportion, 23 per cent, to foster homes with support from the region.

Family counselling service

Based on the data received, it appears that the number of cases that the family counselling service has worked on will be about the same as in 2004. The family counselling offices that have submitted data, dealt with more than 28 200 cases in 2005. The family counselling service’s total expenses were NOK 256 million in 2005. This means that expenses per case are in excess of NOK 9 000. There are variations between the regions, for example Region South spends approximately NOK 7 757, while Region West spends NOK 10 009.

The preliminary figures also indicate that the primary client (the persons who apply to the family counselling service) still state marital problems as the most common reason for contacting them. About half have given this as the most important reason for the contact.

The data basis for the family counselling service is not complete at the time of publication. Region East lacks some figures on service production. Region East, Region West and Region North have incomplete man-labour year figures.

Mediation

The family counselling offices are the core unit in the Norwegian mediation service, but almost all counties also have mediators that are not connected with the family counselling offices. Data received indicate that the number of mediations is about the same as in 2004. It still appears that first meetings take place more than three weeks after the initial enquiry for almost a quarter of the mediations. The delays are due to both the mediators and the clients.

Tables:

• Table 1 Key figures national child welfare. Preliminary figures for 2005
• Table 2 Figures national child welfare. Preliminary figures for 2005
• Table 3 Key figures national family counselling service. Preliminary figures for 2005
• Table 4 Figures national family counselling service. Preliminary figures for 2005
• Table 5 Mediations. Preliminary figures for 2005