Mould forces child diagnostic centre to close

The state-run Counselling and Diagnostic Centre will be closed this week, and possibly longer, because of a mould problem in its building, mbl.is reported.

The centre provides assessments, advice and other services for children with severe developmental impairments that may later lead to disability.

Chief executive Sigurbjörg Fjölnisdóttir said an inspection found mould in toilets on a floor above the centre’s offices and in a shaft connecting the floors. Management was concerned that the mould might not be confined to a single floor or location.

“With the safety of our clients, who are a vulnerable group, in mind, we decided it was not safe to remain in the building while we do not have information about the nature of the problem,” Sigurbjörg told Morgunblaðið.

The lack of premises will affect the centre’s work by slowing assessments that must now be carried out elsewhere and preventing more complex diagnostic assessments and examinations from taking place. The centre conducts about 350 assessments each year, or eight a week.

The closure comes as the centre faces a substantial waiting list. A summary by the Children’s Ombudsman showed that 717 children were waiting for an assessment in September 2025, including 419 children aged six or under. The average waiting time was 25.7 months.

“The service is not completely paralysed, and we will continue to carry out as many assessments, interviews and meetings as we can,” Sigurbjörg said. However, some specialised examinations can only be conducted in the building and will remain on hold.

She said the centre would not reopen if doing so posed any risk to clients. If the mould problem proves more extensive, it will look for ways to conduct assessments elsewhere.