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Child welfare placements

Child welfare placements refer to arrangements where a child’s care and upbringing are organised outside of their home. A child can be placed in family care, professional family care, a children’s institution, or in another type of appropriate care facility. Placement can be short-term (urgent placement) or of indefinite duration (taking into care).

The purpose of placement is to secure the child's balanced development and well-being while responding to each child's unique needs. When placing a child, the aim is to work closely together with the child's parents/guardians whenever possible. Placement is implemented based on a client plan. All children undergoing child welfare placement have an allocated social worker who is responsible for their matters and for ensuring that the placement location meets the child's needs and is in their best interest. The ultimate goal of placement is always to serve the child's best interest and family reunification.

Do the following

Contact the allocated social worker responsible for the child’s matters with any questions about placements.

Contact information

Select your municipality from the drop-down menu to see the appropriate contact details.

For whom / what terms

Child welfare placement is based on child-specific assessments. The allocated social worker responsible for the child's matters will determine the child's best interest and organise child protection according to the child's needs.

Background and legislation

Child welfare foster care refers to the arrangement of the care and upbringing of a child who has been taken into care outside their home.

The purpose of foster care is to safeguard the balanced development and wellbeing of the child. Foster care can be provided as family care, in an institution or otherwise in accordance with the child’s needs. When organising foster care, the child’s opinion must be taken into account whenever possible. The child also has the right to contact their parents and other people close to them during their foster care. This right may only be restricted if it will jeopardise the realisation of the purpose of the foster care or otherwise prove harmful to the child.

In exceptional cases, a child who has been taken into foster care can also be placed with their parent or other guardian for a maximum period of six months, for example when preparing for their return home after their foster care.

The wellbeing services county that placed the child is responsible for the organisation and costs of the foster care. In practice, this is usually the wellbeing services county where the child’s municipality of residence is located.

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