Children who are placed in emergency foster care by Iceland’s child protection service are not monitored by any oversight authority, according to recent reporting by RÚV. The Foster Parents’ Association says some children remain in emergency foster care status for as long as eight years, even though such placements are meant to be temporary solutions lasting up to three months.
Children in emergency foster care do not receive the same systematic oversight as other children in the regular foster care system. RÚV reports that safeguards typically provided to foster children are not in place for this particularly vulnerable group.
The lack of official regulation or review raises concerns about the well-being of children who could face long-term uncertainty while in emergency placements. Despite the intended temporary nature of emergency foster care, the Foster Parents’ Association has identified multiple cases where children endure extended periods without being assigned more permanent care arrangements or oversight.
RÚV was the first to report on the issue; neither the length of these emergency placements nor the absence of regular review appears to be directly regulated by existing administrative bodies.
Sources
- RÚV (first reported) in Icelandic
- DV in Icelandic
