Integration of services for children's prosperity

The children's prosperity law

The beginning

Work on changes in the interests of children began in the spring of 2018 when Ásmundur Einar Daðason, then Minister of Social Affairs and Equality, convened a conference on early intervention in children’s affairs, which marked the beginning of a great deal of collaboration and dialogue on ways to increase the well-being of children. In the wake of this, five ministers and the Association of Local Authorities signed a declaration of intent with the aim of breaking down barriers between systems, improving services in the interests of children, and creating a child-friendly society. One of the main innovations of the children's prosperity law is to mark a clear legal path for cooperation between different service systems. Since the children's prosperity law came into force, the state and municipalities all over the country have been working on its implementation.

Objectives and foundations for success

The law should ensure that children and parents receive the right assistance, on time, from the right persons. The goal is for those who work with children and their families do their part to ensure that protective factors are present in the lives of all children, factors that are often referred to as the five pillars of success:

• Health and well-being

• Education

• Participation in groups and social connections

• Safety and security

• Quality of life and social status

Implementation

People working with and for children should work together to achieve success. The children's prosperity law has given staff in preschools, primary and secondary schools, social services, sports and leisure activities and health services increased responsibility, which includes identifying children's situations, and responding in a specific way if there are indications that the needs of children are not met.

Children and their parents shall have access to a children's prosperity contact point in health care, school or social services. They can receive assistance there to manage and obtain appropriate services, without hindrance. In cases where children have a need for multiple services, they and their parents have access to a children's prosperity contact point in social services or wherever the children's needs are being addressed at the moment.

Services for children are provided at three service levels. It is good to note that while the services the child receives are on different levels, all children's cases are treated with the same priority. Thus children can receive services at more than one service level at the same time.

The children's prosperity law states that the integration of services that is on offer to parents and children is entirely optional. If parents do not request service integration, they are still entitled to service, the only difference is that it is not integrated in the legal sense.

Effect on other laws regarding services for children

The law has had widespread impact, so various other laws regarding services to children have been amended to conform to it, such as the child protection law, the law on pre-school, primary and secondary schools, and the law on children with long-term support needs. New legislation also takes the children's prosperity law widely into account.

Implementation period

Implementing new thinking and new approaches in all municipalities and institutions takes time, and therefore the implementation period of the law has been estimated to be three to five years from the time it takes effect. At the same time, municipalities and governmental institutions that have a role under the law have been allocated funds to cover the costs of integrating services for the welfare of children. In the pre-legislative process, a cost analysis was carried out, which showed that the cost benefits of the changes will take several years to fully come into view, i.e. until the children who have received services under the legislation reach adulthood. In the first years after the law’s implementation, the cost will be higher than the benefits, but in the long term, the benefits will outweigh the costs. In addition, the law will not have a negative environmental impact, but only a positive impact on the lives of children and their families, leading to increased well-being and prosperity for the nation as a whole. It is therefore clear that the children's prosperity law is among the more profitable projects that the Icelandic government has undertaken.

Useful links

• Law on integration of services for children's prosperity (in Icelandic)

• Bill before parliament for the integration of services for children's prosperity (in Icelandic)

• Implementation of the children's prosperity law - ministerial status report on the third year of implementation (pdf, in Icelandic)

• Contribution of the Equalization Fund due to service integration for children's prosperity (in Icelandic)

• Financial costs and benefits (video, in Icelandic)