Children in emergency foster care provided by Iceland’s child protection service are not receiving any supervision, according to a report by RÚV published today. The Foster Parents’ Association has raised concerns that this lack of oversight means children’s rights are at risk while they remain in these placements.
Emergency foster care is intended as a temporary solution and is meant to last a maximum of three months. However, the Foster Parents’ Association reports that some children have remained in these arrangements for as long as eight years. The association estimates that there are currently up to 100 children in emergency foster care in Iceland.
Unlike other children in the foster system, those in emergency placements do not receive the same level of oversight. The Foster Parents’ Association says that one reason for this gap is missing permits: if a required permit for the placement is lacking, no official supervision is carried out.
The association has criticised this situation, arguing that simply acknowledging the problem is not enough and that concrete action must be taken to ensure that children’s conditions are properly supervised and their rights protected.
Background
Sources
- RÚV (first reported) in Icelandic
- mbl.is in Icelandic
