Norway – Safe Spaces for Family Visitations

In Norway, the Child Protection Service (CPS) can, under very restricted conditions, remove a child from their parents’ care and into a suitable care option. In such cases, the child and the parents have a right to have contact through regular visitations, except in very special cases. Consistent and frequent contact between parents and their children in out-of-home care can reduce trauma for the children, strengthen and maintain family relationships and decrease the sense of abandonment that children often experience when they are removed from their parents.

Most visitations are held in unsuitable spaces, like the offices of CPS or busy public cafes. These facilities can be difficult and stigmatising for the children and parents, and some children have strong negative reactions. In addition, they are not suited for normal family activities such as cooking food or playing with toys.

Through this co-created activity, SOS Norway and Heimstaden have come together to provide safe and suitable environments for these family visitations. We are currently providing a Heimstaden apartment where CPS and SOS Norway work together to manage visits of children and their parents. This apartment has been fully furnished and has everything necessary to cater to the needs of CPS and the families.