Ministries guiding of services for children and young people in eleven countries – a comparative study

• Published in: International Journal of Integrated Care
• Main Authors: Joronen, Katja, Kanste, Outi, Halme, Nina, Perälä, Marja-Leena, Pelkonen, Marjaana
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Ubiquity Press 2018
• Subjects: children's and young people's services; governmental guidance; ministry; comparative study; Iceland
• Online Access: https://account.ijic.org/index.php/up-j-ijic/article/view/4605; https://doi.org/10.5334/ijic.s2379

Introduction and aim: Several countries have been reforming services promoting the health, welfare, growth and learning of children and young people. The national structures of guidance of the services have also been transformed and there is lack of comparative knowledge about the present ministry structures across the countries. The aim of this study is to explore which ministries are guiding the organization of children and young people’s services in eleven countries: Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Germany, the Netherlands, England, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. These countries were included in the study because they have developed integrating services. The study is part of a larger study funded by Finnish Government’s analysis, assessment and research activities.Methods: The scoping review was used. Search engine and database searches were made but the majority of the literature was found by using the so-called hand search. That information was sought from the websites of governments and other authorities in selected countries.Results: The most typical structure was that the services of children and young people were under the guidance of several separate ministries. In five countries, there was a Ministry of Children Denmark, Ireland, Norway and New Zealand or Ministry of Children and Families Germany. The Minister for Children and youth existed in five countries Denmark, Ireland, Norway, New Zealand and Sweden, and the Minister for Children and Family affairs in further two countries Germany and England. However, Ministry or Minister of Children or Family affairs did not have the responsibility on all the services of children and young people. For example, in England, the Minister for Children and Families was not responsible for children's health services. In Ireland, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs has been set up in 2011, and it is responsible for reforming children and family services. They have a shared goal of a common policy on children and family, which means close ...