Families refusing assistance from the Norwegian child welfare Services- the importance of family characteristics, case processing and identified problems

Abstract

The Norwegian Child Welfare Services provide support primarily based on family acceptance and cooperation. Previous studies have found that one out of four Norwegian child welfare investigations closed without intervention, are closed due to the family refusing assistance. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of cases where families refuse assistance from the CWS, contributing to the work of improving accuracy of CWS work and decisions, ultimately ensuring that the children in need are reached and helped. There are few previous studies which include cases where families have chosen to leave the CWS system. This study included investigations concluded with voluntary in-home services and those terminated due to family refusal (n = 427). Using logistic regression analyses, we examined characteristics that described and predicted cases in which assistance was refused. Characteristics of the families and the investigation process were included in the analysis, along with the problems identified by the CWS during the investigation. The results showed that concerns reported by the police, families with a two-parent household, and identified parental medical and educational neglect, predicted family refusal of CWS assistance. Identified parenting problems were found to predict acceptance. Our findings indicate that there are additional aspects that affect the family’s decision and that further research on the matter is needed.