The main objective here is that municipalities and institutions prioritize implementing the children's prosperity act and work according to the legislation. The departments or areas involved in services to children and families within municipalities and institutions have different sizes and structures.

It is important to examine how the needs of children and parents are met today in the organization of a municipality or institution. It is necessary to evaluate the obstacles in the administration that can complicate cooperation between departments or sectors when it comes to services for children and parents. It is necessary to examine the channels and current procedures between departments or sectors, and clarify and define cooperation, roles and responsibilities of all parties. It is also necessary to take into account the cooperation agreements that may exist between municipalities and institutions on projects that concern children and their families, such as child protection, school affairs, social services and more.

The law on children's prosperity covers all services within the school system: in pre-school, primary and secondary schools, in the home and social centres. It also covers services provided within the healthcare system, in health centres, health institutions and hospitals, social services, child protection services and services for disabled children, as well as police tasks. All those who manage services for children need to talk and know about the children's prosperity law and cooperation that it involves, both within a municipality or institution, but also with other systems and institutions.

The goal of the law is to create a multi-disciplinary cooperation within the systems that provide services to children and families. The main goal of the law is to break down barriers between the systems, and all local service providers need to join in. It is important to involve everyone when the law is introduced and ensure a dialogue, right at the beginning, with everyone who provides services for children within the limits of the municipality.

Widespread involvement of the service providers in implementing the project can be very important when it comes to its success. Bringing everyone to the table at the beginning increases the chances of better and swifter implementation. It is clear that cooperation in individual cases will be better when general consultation and dialogue between service providers is also undertaken. Everyone needs to be aware that when it comes to an implementation of this size, where many service providers come together, there can be disagreements at all levels and there can be decades of different traditions or experiences behind them. Such disagreements must be resolved as soon as possible. It is recommended to look closely at the picture Cooperating parties implementing the children's prosperity law (in Icelandic).

In this context, it is important that a person be appointed who is responsible for implementing the law. Some municipalities or institutions have taken the approach of creating a position around implementing the law while others assign this responsibility to a person who is already in other positions there. It is important to ensure that the responsible person has the time, space and support needed to work on implementing the law. It should be kept in mind that the scope of the responsibility of the responsible person can vary greatly depending on the size and nature of the services that the municipality or institution provides. Also, some municipalities and institutions have an agreement with another one that provides services for children, the responsible person for implementing the law is the responsible person for both.

It is also important that the responsible person within the municipality or institution set up a steering group. The steering group consists of staff members with different backgrounds and from different fields involved in services to children and families. The person responsible for implementing the law is also responsible for the work of the steering group during the implementation process.

Checklist

• Checklist 1.1 - Beginning and preparation (Word, in Icelandic) - Web form (in Icelandic)

Report template

• Report template for implementing the children's prosperity law (in Icelandic)

Useful links

• Icelandic children's law (in Icelandic)

• UNICEF Iceland's handbook on enabling youth group participation (in Icelandic)

• Samband íslenskra sveitarfélaga - The Icelandic Association of Local Authorities

Before making any changes, it is important to understand where the municipality or institution is today with regards to implementing the children's prosperity law. The steering group for children's prosperity implementation starts by answering the accompanying checklists with the aim of assessing the compliance of the municipality or institution. The responsible person for implementing the law and the steering group can seek information from outside the group if needed and/or get support from the National Agency for Children and Families.

It is recommended that the steering group study the checklists at its first meeting and answer them together. The steering group can then divide the tasks, i.e. who takes the responsibility for finding answers in the cases they need to look at further. It is also recommended that the steering group have the checklists in a common area so that all members of the steering group can submit answers. It is good to set a certain date to have completed finding all answers so that the supervisor of the implementation of the children's prosperity law has the opportunity to summarise the results. At the next meeting the results are then presented and discussed.

When all the checklists have been answered, the supervisor compiles the results of the implementation of the law and reviews them with the steering group. The supervisor can send the summary to the National Agency for Children and Families and request support and/or useful suggestions. The steering group then builds an action plan for the implementation of the children's prosperity law based on these results.

Checklists

• Checklist 2.1 - Education (Word) - Web form (in Icelandic)

• Checklist 2.2 - levels of child prosperity services - list of options (Word) - Web form (in Icelandic)

• Checklist 2.3 - handling personal information in service integration (Word) - Web form (in Icelandic)

• Checklist 2.4 - Contact persons for children's prosperity (health services, municipalities, schools) (Word) - Web form (in Icelandic)

• Checklist 2.5 - Child prosperity case managers (municipalities) (Word) - Web form (in Icelandic)

Appendices and useful links

• Child prosperity services - from general to specialized service - Word

• Child prosperity services - levels (in Icelandic) - PDF

• Example of service levels for children's prosperity - (in Icelandic)- EXCEL

• Rules about goals and procedures with handling of personal data (in Icelandic)

• Request to send personal information to contact persons or case managers (in Icelandic)

• Request for integration of services (in Icelandic)

• Legislation concerning contact persons and case managers involved in service integration for children's prosperity (in Icelandic)

• Related material for contact persons from the National Agency for Children and Families (in Icelandic)

• Children's prosperity checklist for health service providers (in Icelandic) - PDF

• Children's prosperity checklist for healthy preschools (in Icelandic) - PDF (Also available electronically in the healthy preschool system)

• Children's prosperity checklist for healthy elementary schools (in Icelandic) - PDF (Also available electronically in the healthy elementary school system)

• Children's prosperity checklist for healthy secondary schools (in Icelandic) - PDF (Also available electronically in the healthy secondary school system)

• Support materials from the National Agency for Children and Families for child prosperity case managers (in Icelandic)

• Estimating the cost of children's prosperity contact persons and case managers (video, in Icelandic)

It is important that education about the children's prosperity law be an integral part of its implementation by municipalities and institutions. Education is the foundation for successful implementation, and it is important that it be effective and coordinated.

It is recommended that education about the law focus first on those who are responsible for providing services to children and their parents. Knowledge of the children's prosperity law and the responsibility it places on service providers is a prerequisite for parents and children to receive the right assistance, at the right time from the right parties. When necessary changes have been made at a municipality or institution in order to implement the children's prosperity law in all its administrative systems and service institutions, it is time to introduce the law to children and parents.

Education about the children's prosperity law should be extended to all employees of municipalities and institutions involved in services to children. Creating an overview of the staff involved is good preparation, and it is important to look at the group in a broad context, from those who provide services to children directly to those who have the power to decide on the budget for services to children.

It is useful to create an educational programme about the law with different emphases and priorities based on the groups it is aimed at. General education for large groups in different parties involved in services for children can be useful in the early stages of implementation. More specialized education for smaller groups is also necessary, and provides opportunities for reflection, and dialogue on what may be unclear.

Taking into account the participation of children and young people is important when organizing educational activities for them, as to their form, content and structure. The toolkit on UNICEF participation for children in the links below can be useful.

The person for responsible for implementing the children's prosperity laws for a municipality or institution, in cooperation with its managers, is also responsible for providing the necessary education to its service providers. The supporting material below from the National Agency for Children and Families can be used for that purpose, or as a foundation to build on. Also, children's prosperity staff at the National Agency for Children and Families can assist in the planning of the education and materials if requested.

Templates

• Education - useful questions in preparing materials (in Icelandic)

Useful links

• Introduction to the children's prosperity law (video, in Icelandic)

• The children's prosperity law - basic and advanced classes for contact persons (in Icelandic)

• The children's prosperity website

• The National Agency for Children and Families website

• UNICEF toolkit for children's participation (in Icelandic)

  • UNICEF educational video about equality (in Icelandic)

The action plan for implementing the measure should clearly outline the objectives of the municipality or institution in implementing the measure. The person responsible for implementing the measure and the steering group oversee the preparation of the action plan, and select actions based on the results of their assessment. It is important that the actions set out in the plan be clear and well defined, that they be accompanied by timeframes, and that a supervisor be appointed for each action.

The role of the action coordinator is not to implement the action on his or her own, but rather to be the spokesperson for the action and supervise it. The person designated as the action coordinator must be informed about that role, and the expectations concerning it. It might also be appropriate to set up task force groups to work specifically on certain actions of the programme, in cooperation with the action coordinators.

Actions in the children's prosperity implementation plan may include, for example, increased cooperation between different services for children, definition of different service levels, the creation of a municipal or institutional resource list, the appointment of children's prosperity contact persons and case managers, and definition of the procedures relating to their roles and tasks. The action plan should also include an educational programme involving service providers, and education for children and parents regarding service integration.

Some actions are more extensive and time-consuming than others, in those cases it is important to define its objectives well, and break it down into smaller manageable elements that all aim to achieve the ultimate goal.

When a draft action plan is ready, the municipality/institution is welcome to send it to the children's prosperity department at the National Agency for Children and Families (farsaeld@bofs.is) which can then provide feedback and assistance on individual aspects.

It is recommended that the action plan be submitted to the municipality and/or the local councils, or the supervisory boards of institutions, and formally approved. This is an important part of the taking control of the implementation. The action plan should alse be presented to the residents of the municipality and to service recipients of institutions, for instance on their websites.

Template

• Template for action and education planning (in Icelandic) - EXCEL

The coordinator of the actions and the project groups, in cooperation with the steering group, manage the implementation of individual actions and ensure that they are carried out in accordance with the action plan.

It is important to monitor and evaluate each project's progress regularly to identify deviations from the action plan, so that action can be taken to achieve the objectives.

Those responsible for implementing specific actions can contact the person with overall responsibility for implementing the law at the municipality or institution if any obstacles arise. They may also mobilize the children's prosperity steering group if necessary.

It should be noted that the person responsible for implementing the children's prosperity law has easy access to advice and support from the children's prosperity department at the National Agency for Children and Families (farsaeld@bofs.is) while that work is being done.

Maintaining success in activities with children and families is a never-ending process, as the provisions of the law can change, as well as children's and families' circumstances and environment. Therefore, constant review is necessary to ensure that the spirit of the law is maintained in municipalities and institutions.

In this context, it is important that the person responsible for implementing the law on child welfare, along with the steering group, set new goals and strategy for how to maintain its work on children's prosperity in the municipality or institution concerning services for children. This can include factors such as personnel changes in the responsible persons for providing and providing child welfare services, updating the resource lists, and education for parents and children.

Regional councils are an important link in the development of new goals. According to Article 5 of the law on integration of services for children's prosperity, municipalities are required to appoint a regional council for children's prosperity. The councils appoint representatives of service providers under the auspices of the state and municipalities, who play a key role in ensuring the well-being of children in the region. The councils are intended to create a forum for consultation and planning regarding actions for the benefit of children. The councils shall also consult with representatives of service recipients in the region, for instance through the participation of youth councils in the preparation of an action plan and assessing priorities. It is important to pay close attention to the composition and work of the councils to which the municipality or institution belongs.

One of the roles of regional councils for children's prosperity is to draw up an action plan setting out the priorities for a four-year period. The action plan takes into account the parliamentary resolution on child prosperity and the state implementation plan, as well as the results of the regional child prosperity councils. Municipalities draw up reports on the progress of the regional priority action plans every two years. The plans and reports shall be sent to the Quality and Supervisory Authority of Welfare (GEV).

With the establishment of the children's prosperity dashboard (see link below), the councils of child welfare and other parties involved in child services can use existing statistical data in a meaningful way, including when prioritizing actions and evaluating the impact of actions of public bodies, the state and municipalities. Data is compiled according to these criteria which shed light on the state of children's prosperity in Iceland in a comprehensive manner. The dashboard is based on five pillars of children's prosperity, with the objective of providing an overview of its status in Iceland at any given time, with emphasis on vulnerable groups and social challenges. At the same time, it is intended to monitor the development of children's prosperity over time, and help evaluate the effectiveness of implementing the law. In this context, a new project and promotion manager is to be hired to work on projects related to the well-being of children and young people in Iceland. That manager will work closely with the University of Iceland's Educational Research Institute, local authorities, the Ministry of Education and Children and other parties involved in research concerning Icelandic youth.

In the spring of 2024, the first agreement to create regional children's prosperity councils was signed by the Minister of Education and Children and the director of the Association of Local Authorities in west Iceland, when west Iceland became the first part of the country to form a regional children's prosperity council. Below, in the useful links section, you can find a story published on the website of the council at the time of the signing of the agreement.

It should be noted that the work involving the regional councils is still being developed and their form may differ from one region to another. The above information may therefore change with increased knowledge and experience. Municipalities that have not operated a regional council are encouraged to examine what their benefits could be with other nearby municipalities.

Checklist

• Checklist 7.1 - new goals and continuation (Word, in Icelandic) - Web form (in Icelandic)

Useful links

• Quality and Supervisory Authority of Welfare

• From stjornarradid.is - article about formation of regional council in west Iceland (in Icelandic)

• Children's prosperity council meeting 2023 (video, in Icelandic)

• Summary of child prosperity council meeting 2023 (in Icelandic)

• Children's prosperity dashboard (in Icelandic)

  • Introducing the children's prosperity dashboard – (video, in Icelandic)