Audit finds children kept too long in Reykjavík emergency care

An audit of Reykjavík Child Protection found cases in which children remained in emergency placements for months beyond the permitted period, and others were placed with people without valid foster-care licences, mbl.is reports.

The review was presented to city councillors at a Welfare Council meeting yesterday. Ragnhildur Alda Vilhjálmsdóttir, a city councillor for the Independence Party, said the findings included serious problems but also reflected long-standing concerns.

She said 40 per cent of Iceland’s foster children are in Reykjavík. In her view, the problems stem in part from staff being unable to do their work as well as they would like. She said the political leadership, rather than Child Protection staff, had failed to respond adequately.

The report says staff workloads are excessive and criticises Reykjavík’s case-management system as outdated and unable to communicate with systems used elsewhere in the country. Some basic information must be retrieved manually, and staff have to count by hand how many children are in different types of placements.

In July, 51 children in Reykjavík were in emergency placements: 23 girls and 28 boys. The temporary measure is intended to protect a child or assess their circumstances, and regulations set a maximum duration of three months. The review found that, because suitable placements are lacking, some children stay for several months beyond that limit.

The report says there is no indication that staff do not act with integrity or put children’s interests first. Vilhjálmsdóttir said councillors would review each recommendation and work through changes before the end of their term.