Pre-natal support

"Children with parents who are mentally ill or who abuse alcohol or drugs must be followed closely from before birth to the start of school. We have initiated a major project in which specialized teams will guide and assist municipalities in their efforts to improve the lives of vulnerable children," says Minister of Children and Equality Manuela Ramin-Osmundsen.

After a mobilization conference last autumn, 26 municipalities applied to take part in a project extending from 2007 to 2014. Each municipality's input to the project must be an integral part of its existing service structure. Those municipalities whose applications are approved will receive start-up funds to begin designing the model and identifying families to participate in the project.

"We are doing this to expand our knowledge base as well as to encourage municipalities to think preventively and design good models for the long-term follow-up of children whose parents are mentally ill or abuse alcohol or drugs,” says Minister of Children and Equality Manuela Ramin-Osmundsen. “I've chosen to strengthen a specialized team in each region by one position. That’s five new positions in all."

Those who are hired will be tasked with assisting and training municipalities in the implementation of various statistical methods. They will also help municipalities develop programmes and measures aimed at children and parents.

We will also send out a brochure to everyone who works with adults and children at the municipal level in Norway. The brochure should serve both as a reminder to identify at-risk children and as a source of sound advice when doing so.