Government extends BOFS director’s term without advertising post

mbl.is reports that Iceland’s Ministry of Education and Children’s Affairs did not decide to advertise the position of director of the Children and Family Agency (BOFS). Ólöf Ásta Farestveit’s appointment expires on January 1, but her term will now be extended for five years.

The ministry would have had to notify Farestveit by July 1 if it intended to advertise the position, according to the ministry’s response to written questions from Morgunblaðið. No one may be appointed director more than twice.

Ásmundur Einar Daðason, then minister of education and children’s affairs, appointed Farestveit director when BOFS was established on January 1, 2022. The agency took over the duties of the Child Protection Agency and was also expected to play a key role in implementing integrated services for children’s wellbeing. Farestveit had served as acting director of the Child Protection Agency since September 2021.

Implementation remains incomplete

The so-called wellbeing laws, which were intended to promote children’s wellbeing and ensure that children and parents could access suitable, integrated and continuous services without obstacles, have not achieved their intended results since taking effect nearly five years ago.

A report by the National Audit Office, published in June after reviewing the administration of the laws and their implementation, said the legislation had ensured neither increased prevention nor early support for children. It also said inadequate preparations before the laws were enacted had negatively affected their implementation and operation.

The report said BOFS had focused on introducing first- and second-level services for children and their families. Implementation of third-level services, which are specialised services for children with the most serious problems, was less advanced.

As a result, groups of children with serious difficulties still do not receive integrated services to the same extent as children with less severe problems. These include children with multiple and complex needs, children dealing with substance abuse, children in foster care and children with disabilities.

The National Audit Office called the situation unacceptable, given that these children have the greatest need for integrated services. Implementation of the laws was intended to take five years, but the report said it was far from complete and that it was unclear when it would be finished.