Child welfare
| Updated: 29.11.2012 - Next update: 30.10.2013 |
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Number of children in care is again on the rise
In 2011, the number of children placed in care increased by nearly 3 per cent and the number of emergency placements by 13 per cent compared to 2010.In 2011, 1.4 per cent of children under 18 were placed outside the home. During the year, a total of 17 409 children and young people were placed outside the home.
There were around 81 500 children and young people who had been the subject of community-based child welfare interventions, an increase of just over 3 per cent on the previous year.
Source:
National Institute for Health and Welfare
Description of indicator
The indicator shows the percentage of children aged 0–17, placed outside the home, of those of the same age at the end of the year. The figures include those placed outside the home as an outpatient support measure, those with urgency placed, those taken into custody, those taken involuntarily into custody and those in after-care placed children aged 0-17.
Children in placement refer to children and adolescents placed outside the home either as an outpatient support measure, those with urgency placed, taken into custody, or as after care. Criteria for placement outside the home include severe risk to the child’s health or development in the present circumstances (caused by parents or the child) and action required in the child’s best interests.
The numbers of children placed outside the home depict the mental and economic ill-being of families and emphasise the need to focus on children and adolescents. Whenever the child’s own parents are unable to cope with the child’s care and upbringing, child welfare secures the child’s living conditions and preconditions for development, by placing the child in family or institutional care.
Reasons for placements outside the home can include causes due to the parents and children alike. Substance abuse is the underlying cause in many cases. Parallel to this indicator, long-term statistics on reports to child welfare should be examined, since changes in these are also reflected in statistics on taking children into custody. Intensifying outpatient support measures may reduce the number of placements, but that may also increase the number of children taken into custody, as more situations requiring child welfare measures come to light.
