Child welfare services (barnevernet) should ensure that children in Norway receive safe care, and primarily help families at home. In 2025, 83 percent of all measures were support services (hjelpetiltak), not custody measures (omsorgstiltak) (SSB). Here you'll get facts about how a child welfare case actually proceeds, and what rights you have as a parent.
What is child welfare in Norway?
Child welfare in Norway is a municipal service designed to help children and families facing difficulties. The goal is for children to receive safe care – usually at home with their parents.
The rules are set out in the Child Welfare Act, which has applied since January 1, 2023. The municipality receives reports, investigates cases, and offers help. Bufetat (the state child welfare authority) is responsible for foster homes and institutions. Bufdir makes this clear: the vast majority of those who receive child welfare help receive it at home.
The law also requires cultural sensitivity. Child welfare must at all stages take into account the child's ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and religious background (Child Welfare Act § 1-8). Many who come to Norway through family immigration are uncertain about what child welfare actually does. The figures below paint a different picture than the rumors.
What happens when someone submits a notification of concern?
A notification of concern (bekymringsmelding) usually does not lead to any measures. Of all investigations that were concluded in 2025, 64 percent ended without any measures at all (SSB, 2025).
The process has clear time limits. The child welfare service must review the notification within one week (Child Welfare Act § 2-1). If they open an investigation, it should be completed within three months. Only in special cases can it be extended to six months (§ 2-2).
An investigation is not an accusation. It usually means conversations with the parents and child, and sometimes a home visit. In 2025, child welfare received 53,861 reports, and 72.5 percent resulted in an investigation (SSB, 2025). Most cases stop there, with no measures taken.
Support services: the most common form of child welfare
Support services (hjelpetiltak) are what child welfare provides most often, and most are voluntary. In 2025, 83 percent of all children receiving child welfare measures had support services, not custody measures – 35,309 out of 42,551 children (SSB, 2025).
Common support services include:
- advice and parenting guidance
- respite care and support contact
- kindergarten placement for the child
- family conference (familieråd) – a meeting where the family and their network create a plan, led by a neutral coordinator who does not work in child welfare (Bufdir)
Support services are voluntary, and you can decline them. Remember also that financial hardship is not the same as neglect. SamfunnPrep has separate guides on support schemes for low-income families and reduced kindergarten fees for parents.
When can child welfare take over care?
Child welfare cannot decide on its own to take over care of a child. Only the child welfare and health board (barneverns- og helsenemnda) can do this – an independent board that works like a court (Child Welfare Act, 2023).
A custody takeover (omsorgsovertakelse) requires that there are serious shortcomings in the care the child receives, and that support services are not enough. Typical reasons are violence, substance abuse, or serious neglect. A different parenting style or the food you eat at home is not grounds for taking a child.
In case of acute danger, child welfare can issue an emergency decision (akuttvedtak), but this has three safeguards. The board chair should approve the decision as soon as possible, ideally within 48 hours (§ 14-22). You can appeal, and the appeal must be decided within one week (§ 14-23). The decision expires after six weeks if child welfare does not file a full case (§ 4-2).
The European Court of Human Rights criticized Norway in several cases, including the Strand Lobben ruling from 2019. The rules were therefore clarified in the 2023 Act: reunification with the family is now a clear goal, and contact should be assessed individually for each child (regjeringen.no, 2023).
Are there children's homes in Norway?
No, Norway does not have traditional children's homes. Children who cannot live at home live in foster homes or in small residential communities with staff, called child welfare institutions (barnevernsinstitusjon).
As of December 31, 2025, 8,899 children lived in foster homes and 1,007 in institutions (SSB). This means that approximately 9 out of 10 placed children live in an ordinary family. Around 3,000 foster children live with families they knew beforehand (Bufdir, 2024).
| Type of placement | What is it? | When is it used? |
|---|---|---|
| Foster home (fosterhjem) | An ordinary family that provides a home for the child | The main form – approximately 9 out of 10 placed children (SSB, as of 31.12.2025) |
| Emergency foster home (beredskapshjem) | A foster home that takes children on short notice | Acute and temporary situations |
| Child welfare institution (barnevernsinstitusjon) | A small residential community with staff | Most often for young people with special needs – 945 children nationwide (SSB, as of 31.12.2025) |
The law states that family and close network must always be considered first when a child needs a foster home (Child Welfare Act § 5-3). Grandparents, an aunt, or an uncle can become a foster home for the child. The choice should also take into account the child's ethnic, religious, cultural, and linguistic background (§ 5-3). Want to know more? SamfunnPrep has a separate guide on becoming a foster parent in Norway.
Your rights as a parent
You have strong rights in a child welfare case, and several of them are free and automatic.
- Free legal counsel. In compulsory cases before the board, you are entitled to free legal representation without a means test (Legal Aid Act § 17). You do not need to apply – the board arranges a lawyer automatically.
- Interpreter. The authorities must use a qualified interpreter when necessary (Interpreter Act §§ 6 and 7, from January 1, 2022). It is forbidden to use a child as an interpreter (Interpreter Act § 4).
- Right to appeal. Decisions about support services can be appealed to the County Governor (Statsforvalteren). Decisions by the board can be brought to district court, still with free legal counsel.
- Contact and reunification. After a custody takeover, reunification is the goal, and contact must be assessed individually (the 2023 Act).
- Aftercare. Support services can be continued until the young person turns 25 (Child Welfare Act § 3-6).
The State Board of Health Supervision oversees child welfare. The Child Ombudsman (Barneombudet) provides independent information about children's rights.
What should you do if child welfare contacts you?
Attend the meeting, ask questions, and request an interpreter if you need one. Calm and early dialogue gives you the best overview and most influence in the case.
Ask for everything in writing, and read the decisions carefully. If you disagree, you can appeal. In compulsory cases, you always have a free lawyer (Legal Aid Act § 17). Young people can also get free and confidential help at youth health clinics.
Knowledge makes it easier to meet the system without fear. Rules about child welfare and parents' rights are part of the curriculum for the Civic Knowledge Exam (Statsborgerprøven) – on SamfunnPrep you can practice for free and become confident about how the Norwegian system works.
