Imagine the following: Benjamin was born an addict, and has lived in the same foster home since he was a few days old. Benjamin is a boy who has special needs for stability and security in the provision of care.
His biological parents after several years as drug users are still big problems, and there is limited interaction between Benjamin and his parents. Occasionally does not come the parents to remain together. Parents promote not claim that the child should be returned to them.
For the children such as Benjamin is the practice in Norway that they grow up in a foster home. In many other countries would Benjamin been adopted. The last is rarely done in Norway, despite the fact that research shows that adoption gives good results and that many children are likely to be at their best.
Around 10 000 children is under barnevernets care. This constitutes about 1 per cent of all children in Norway and the other nordic countries, is located on roughly the same level. For many of these children, it is ascertained that they cannot be returned to their biological parents.
Only about 50 children are selected each year in Norway after barnevernloven. Foster care or institusjonsplassering is the most commonly used measures to children who the state has taken over the responsibility for because their parents can’t have custody of them.
criminal cases 400 – barnevernsretten 10 Debate
Now, however, the danes broken with the nordic tradition. In 2014, the Danish Parliament a legislative amendment which requires the child to consider adoption for children who are langtidsplasserte. This will ensure continuity and stability in the child’s upbringing.
There is one important reason that the danes change the law, and it is due to knowledge about adoption. There is solid research that shows that adoption as measures will be a better solution than foster care and an institution for many children. Adoption is documented to provide a better quality of life – both in childhood and when children are adults.
significant amounts international research that lies behind these conclusions. Danish researchers have gone through all the existing research about the different types of care, and looked at what effects they have for the kids. In conclusion the power is switched off fixed that:
“Forskningsoversigten giver a surprisingly uniform image, no matter if we have chosen to focus on the child’s physical or cognitive udvikling, its selvværd or adfærdsmæssige and følelsesmæssige problems. Adoptivbørnene manage gennemgående better end the tilbageblevne jævnaldrende, where forsætter their childhood under the strain opvækstvilkår, either because they are blevet hjemgivet, anbragt on the institution or at a plejefamilie.” (Christoffersen, Hammen, Andersen, & Jeldtoft, 2007).
Life with two biological and one adopted child Dagbladet Plus
In addition, there are also thorough research on Swedish children and families. The research is based on national registry data, which contains a very wide range of information. This in humans point in the same direction as the international research.
Researchers Vinnerljung and Hjern included 4000 children who were under the barnevernets care because of neglect in the study. The comparison shows that the goals as cognitive abilities, school achievements and the use of social assistance, were the results significantly better for children who were adopted than for the fosterhjemsplasserte.
From a forskningsståsted , there is a clear evidence base is established. The question is how the knowledge should be followed up. Adoption action is an academic question, but also a political question. In Raundalutvalgets ekspertrapport about the biological principle, Better protection of child development (NOU 2012:5), it is recommended that the adoption must be considered by child welfare authorities when children are in long term placements.
the Research we at the University of bergen recently made by the decision-makers at different levels in the child welfare, shows that many are well aware of the research about the adoption. It is practised only not.
The reformgrep is that they have made a law that says that children who are under long-term public care to get an assessment of whether adoption may be in their interest. They have made clear guidelines for employees in barnevernssystemet. The policy also contains eksempelsaker, which indicates when the adoption can and should be considered. One of the requirements is that all children who have been placed in 3 or more years shall receive an assessment of whether adoption may be in their best interest.
It will have the potential to meaning for thousands of children. Danish estimates from 2011 show that the 3216 children had been in foster care or institution in more than three years. As many as 25 percent of these children were moved from their parents when they were babies, and know in reality the only fosterforeldrene as their parents.
In Norway, it is not made the same calculation, but there is reason to assume that the situation is comparable. It means that there are many children in the Norwegian child welfare that could potentially benefit the good of a measure. It is, in itself, is good reason to make changes in current practice.
The fundamental question is how the rights of the group with langtidsplasserte children should be protected. What is the meaning of the right to family life for children who grow up in public care?
Our review of the all adopsjonssakene that have been adopted in the period 2011-2016 indicates that the children who have been heard in adopsjonssaker is coherent: For them, it is important to be adopted so that they belong to the family forever, and is equal with the others in the family. The importance of hearing for us humans, is recognized as a basic need.
To respect the child’s right to family life will imply that the biological parents ‘ interests and legal rights sometimes must yield because the child has the right to grow up in a family. The research in this area is clear that many children would be better off if they adopted. Now it is up to the politicians and those who work in the barnevernsfeltet to make use of this knowledge to the children’s best.
the Authors have recently written the report “Adoption as child welfare measures” at the behest of the Children, youth and affairs. The report is available here: https://www.uib.no/sites/w3.uib.no/files/attachments/2019_skivenes_helland._rapport_-_adopsjon_som_barneverntiltak.pdfReferanser: Christoffersen, Hammen, Andersen, & Jeldtoft, 2007: https://www.sfi.dk/publikationer/adoption-som-indsats-5323/NOU 2012:5. https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/nou-2012-5/id671400/sec1 By mistake treated the court the same barnevernssak two times. The outcomes were completely different
