I have been placed in out-of-home care

When you are placed in out-of-home care, it is the responsibility of the adults in the foster family or the staff to take care of you.

You have the same rights as other children, even when you are placed in out-of-home care. For example, you have the right to go to school, to be given treatment if you are ill, and to have someone who listens to you.

If something doesn’t feel right, you can talk to EN Infobubbla soc. They are responsible for your placement and for ensuring that you are fine.

All children and young persons who are placed in out-of-home care have an appointed social worker at social services. That person will visit you and give you the information you need.

You have the right to talk to your social worker alone. If you prefer, you can take someone else along as support.

Most children who are placed in out-of-home care can have contact with their parents, siblings and other people who are important in their lives.

There are different ways of being in contact. It could be meeting up in person but it can also be talking via a computer or telephone.

You should go to school as usual. However, once you are placed in care, you may need to change schools. In that case, the staff from your old school and the new one should get in touch with each other to ensure a good transition for you.

If you have received extra support at school, your old school should tell the new one what help you have received.

Talk to your social worker or an adult at school if this hasn’t gone as it should.

Usually, you have the right to know what the adults who figure in your life write about you. You can ask social services if you want to read the documentation/record they have about you.

If there is something you don’t understand or want to know more about, you should ask.

Everyone can feel bad sometimes. Maybe you aren’t sleeping well, are feeling very depressed or have pain somewhere in your body. Or something else might be bothering you.

Sometimes these things go away on their own. But in other cases, you may need help. That’s why it’s important that you talk to the adults where you live, or with social services.

When you are placed in care, you may visit a doctor or nurse to make sure you are doing alright. This applies even if you don’t feel unwell at the time.

You should try to talk to the adults in the place where you are staying.

If that does not help or feels awkward, you can phone or write to social services.

Everyone who is placed in care has their own social worker. If you do not know who this is, you can call the municipality authority where you live. Call the municipality authority’s switchboard. Ask to be connected to the social services’ reception unit for children and young people.

You can also search for contact information for social services on the municipality’s website. Or you can ask any adult you trust for help.

On IVO’s and SIS’s websites, you can read more information and see films about your rights when you are placed in out-of-home care:

Foster family

HVB residential care home

Supported housing

SiS’s special residential home for young people