Child protection services

What are Child protection services?

Child protection services strive to insure decent conditions for children whilst they are growing up, by supporting the parenting role of the family and by using means at their disposal to protect individual children when necessary. According to Icelandic law children are considered to be minors until the age of 18.

Child protection services process cases in accordance with Child Protection Act, No. 80/2002.
Child protection's employees are employed by the Child protection committee and appertain to Akureyri municipality’s Division of Welfare.
A report sent to Child protection services is not a legal complaint but rather a request for assistance regarding a particular child or family an individual believes to be in need of help.

Child protection services inspects the living conditions of children if there is some suspicion that those conditions are unacceptable. They use various approaches to improve things and offer many services such as social counselling, case managers, personal advisors, support families, foster care placement, institutional placement, financial aid, summer stays for children and preventative measures.

How do I know if I should report a child's condition?

For a short video message from the Government of Iceland regarding reports to Child protection services, click here.

During your evaluation of the need to report the conditions of children and adolescents, look out for the following signs:

• Physical and emotional neglect
• Physical, mental or sexual violence and abuse
• Young children being left unattended or in the custody of other children
• Older children being left unattended for long periods of time, forced to look after themselves
• Poor school attendance, compulsory education ignored
• Offences, aggression
• Health care or medical attention ignored despite need
• Repeated accidents and incidents that could have been prevented
• Repeated injuries that a child has difficulties explaining
• Malnutrition
• Poor clothing and care not in accord with conditions
• Abnormal outdoor hours and repeated violations of regulations on outdoor hours of children
• Alcohol and/or drug use of parents
• General incompetence of parents

Points relating especially to adolescents:

• Alcohol and drug use
• Poor school attendance
• Repeated violations
• Violent behaviour
• Depression, mental problems, suicidal thoughts

Who may report to Child protection services?

The condition of individual children and families get reported in different ways, and anyone may report to Child protection services.

People may look for help themselves, the public may report an issue, or individuals who work with children who suspect a child may live in unacceptable conditions, their upbringing is being neglected in other ways, or their health is endangered, may report those concerns to Child protection services.

Child protection services and their employees are bound by confidentiality and the reporting person may stay anonymous (this excludes public employees, e.g. doctors, nurses, police, elementary and preschool teachers, and the like). 

What happens when a report is sent to Child protection services?

In all circumstances Child protection services' employees will evaluate a case with consideration to whether further supportive measures are necessary.

Emphasis is put on cooperation with parents and collaborating with other services. These services include the Government Agency for Child Protection who aid in the analyses and processing of cases, and with preparations related to foster care arrangements. Barnahús is consulted on matters regarding sexual assaults towards children and treatments related to them. The Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Department may also be consulted.

• A case manager will aid the parents with parenting and in managing their upbringing duties.
• A personal advisor will give the child counsel and advice related to social, moral and emotional matters, such as work, education and leisure activities.
• A support family will have a child, or a child and its parent, stay with them for a couple of days a month. This is done to ease the burden off of children or their families, and to guide parents and support them in their parenting role.

Useful resources

Government Agency for Children Protection's website. (Félagsmálaráðuneytið)

Iceland's ministry of Social affairs' website. (Barnaverndarstofa)

Eyjafjörður's Child protection committee. (Barnaverndarnefnd, site in Icelandic)

Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Department (Barna- og unglingageðdeild)

The children's house in Iceland. (Barnahús)

Family Justice Center for Survivors of Violence's website. (Bjarmahlíð)