Norway child welfare service to review care status of two Indian children

New Delhi, Feb.17 (ANI): The Child Welfare Service in Stavanger, Norway, has said that it will evaluate the possible care of Indian children by their uncle at the end of February or in the beginning of March.

A press release from the Embassy of Norway said that the Child Welfare Service in Stavanger has engaged the services of a person whose cultural background is Indian in order to be able to cooperate as effectively as possible.

According to the embassy release, the Child Welfare Service (Barnevernet) aims to evaluate whether care of the two Indian children who have been placed in a Norwegian foster home can be awarded to the brother of the children's father.

If it concludes that the care of the children can be awarded to the uncle, an arrangement will be put into place to ensure that the children's needs are met when they return to India.

This will also entail clarification of the financing of the follow-up of the children in India.

The head of the Child Welfare Service, Gunnar Toresen, said, "We hope to clarify what follow-up measures can be implemented to safeguard the children's health by the middle of March."

A final decision in the case will be taken by the district court, the embassy release said.

Before anyone else can take over care of the children, the court must first revoke the order placing the children in the care of the public authorities.

If the Child Welfare Service has the necessary information to be able to draw up a good follow-up arrangement for the children, the case can be brought before the court by the end of March.

"We have an open, positive dialogue with the uncle. We have had meetings with him, we have observed the children in their day-care centre and have visited them in their foster home," said Toresen.

The parents have the opportunity to spend time with their children in accordance with the decision of the county board for child and social welfare. (ANI)