– The child cries, the child says I don’t want to, says the foster mother. She describes what it is like at home before she meets her biological parents. – The child clings to us, clings to things at home. Doesn’t want to go out the door, she adds. The child is under eight years old and lives somewhere in Eastern Norway. The woman does not want to come forward with her name and photo out of consideration for the child and because she fears negative consequences from coming forward openly. After the meeting has been completed, the reactions come from the child, she says: – A lot of bad feelings that spill out and it then comes to light in many different ways. The foster mother experiences that the child she is responsible for dreads being together. – Why do the child protection services pressure you to carry out such meetings with biological parents? – What we hear is that it is important to safeguard the parents’ rights. news has seen documentation of how the foster parents several times try to argue to the child welfare services that visits should not be carried out. Nevertheless, they are asked to find new dates and carry out visits. In order to protect the foster mother’s identity, news has not obtained a response from the child welfare services in the relevant municipality. I think the child welfare services fear new lawsuits. Secretary General of the Foster Home Association, Tove Granaas, reacts strongly to the story. – Here, the public sector has taken over the responsibility of ensuring that this child has good health, good development, and experiences security. And then it publicly exposes the child to neglect again. It’s absolutely terrible. Tone Granaas, general secretary of the Norwegian Foster Home Association. Photo: Lars Thomas Nordby / news She says the problem is far from unique. Around 30 per cent of those who responded to a survey carried out by the Norwegian Foster Homes Association answered that they experience pressure from the child welfare service to have contact where the child is harmed by the contact. Granaas believes that being together can often be very good for the children, but that specific assessments must be made in each individual case. She believes that an important reason why child welfare services are pushing for access is the fear of new lawsuits. – We notice that Norway has gone from one ditch to another when it comes to socializing, and exposes these children to socializing that is harmful to them. The Human Rights Court in Strasbourg. Photo: NTB / REUTERS Increased contact after judgment In recent years, Norway has been sentenced a number of times in the Human Rights Court in Strasbourg. Last week at the latest, Norway was convicted in nine cases of forced adoption or taking over care. The judgments deal in different ways with the biological parents’ ability to have a family life with the children, even if they do not have day-to-day care. For that to be possible, togetherness is central. According to the statistics news has received from Bufdir, the frequency of contact between foster children and biological parents has increased in recent years: Right to contact Bufdir has professional responsibility for child protection. They cannot comment on the specific case, but acting division director Tove Bruusgaard says children should not be exposed to harmful contact. – If it is harmful for the child to have access, then it must be limited or terminated. At the same time, she believes it is important that foster children can maintain contact with their parents: – One of the reasons why visitation is important is that through it you can maintain contact between child and parents so that it may be possible for the child to move back, if the situation in the family changes. And care at home can be safe. Need more foster homes: – A myth that you have to be “A4” Parents want cooperation Merethe Løland is head of the Organization for Children’s Welfare (OBF). They represent many parents who have children in public care who also find visitation very difficult. She says she gets sad when she hears about children who don’t feel well when they are together. – At the same time, we think that many children could have better contact with their parents if there was good cooperation between foster parents, parents and the child protection service. Merethe Løland is head of the Organization for Children’s Welfare Parents (OBF). – What does it take to get along well? – First of all, we have to talk together about what is difficult in each individual case. In addition, she believes that child protection must improve to have meeting places where foster parents, children and parents can feel safe with each other. – I think the vast majority of children want to have both parents and foster parents who can cheer them on at the football match, instead of having to choose. The child’s best foster mother news has spoken to, believe that those who have been foster parents for years have done everything they could to make the visits work. She believes that contact with parents should be a child’s right, not an obligation. – The way the visitation system works now, it is practically an obligation for the children. Parents are not required to visit if they do not want to. Why does Norway do that to the children, she says.
ttn-69
Believes foster children are pressured into harmful contact with biological parents – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
