Predictors of child participation in child welfare emergency placements—A Norwegian case file study

Abstract

Background:Although child participation has attained significant awareness in childwelfare research, little is known about how this right is upheld in emergency cases.Therefore, the various degrees to which children participate in child welfare services'emergency cases and factors predicting such participation were explored.Method:Degrees of participation found in 148 case files (Mage=11–12 years old,range; 3–18 years; 59% girls, 48% with minority backgrounds) from four Norwegianmunicipalities were regressed on 15 independent variables in a multinomial logisticregression.Results:The children's advancing age increases their probabilities of involvement inthe decision-making processes regarding emergency placements (p< 0.001). Thechildren's minority backgrounds enhance their likelihood of being informed of theplacement and having their opinions given weight in decision-making processes(p=0.010). The study, nevertheless, revealed that 39% of children in emergencyplacements are not involved in these processes.Conclusions:Case file documentation indicates inadequate involvement of childrenin emergency cases. Nevertheless, older children and those with minority back-grounds are more likely to participate, although the degree of their involvementvaries. The study did not find a correlation between prior contact with child welfareservices and child participation

Predictors of child participation in child welfare emergency placements—A Norwegian case file study