Faroese child care agency defies ombudsman’s order on special needs placement

Seven weeks after the Faroese parliamentary ombudsman issued a formal reprimand to the national child welfare agency Almannaverkið, a child with complex needs has still not received a suitable care offer matching their previous support, public broadcaster KVF reports.

The ombudsman’s April ruling found that Almannaverkið had failed to follow proper procedures when transferring the child’s care placement from Eirargarður in Tórshavn to Sands, confirming that parents were not consulted and no justification was provided. The ombudsman directed the agency to immediately secure a preliminary care offer and full services tailored to the child’s prior support level.

In a statement to KVF, the child’s mother—who requested anonymity—said Almannaverkið has only adhered to what the ombudsman termed a “secondary measure” while ignoring the primary demand for a suitable interim placement. This week, the family received notice that the agency intends to reinstate the same Sands placement they had previously complained about.

The mother called the proposal unsafe, citing her son’s severe sleep-related epilepsy. “They insist he must receive care in Sands, even though it’s neither realistic nor safe due to his epilepsy during sleep,” she wrote. She also warned the case sets a dangerous precedent, allowing a public agency to selectively comply with ombudsman rulings.

Almannaverkið director Hjørdis S. Mortensen declined an interview but stated in writing that the agency “takes the ombudsman’s decision under serious consideration” and is “in dialogue with the parties involved.” KVF had asked whether the agency had fulfilled its pledge for interim care, why it persisted with the contested Sands offer, and whether other affected families had received alternative placements.

The mother reported that since the transfer to Sands, her son has had no care placement at all, leaving the family without support for over six months. “We’ve had countless sleepless nights because he now always sleeps at home, and we have no respite options like before,” she said.

Social affairs minister Margit Stórá confirmed to parliament that Almannaverkið is reviewing a new procedural decision in the case and assessing whether other children transferred to Sands under similar circumstances should receive the same remedy. KVF has spoken to other parents in identical situations who say they, too, have not received the interim care offers the ombudsman demanded in April.