– There is a very large bias in placements of children outside the home, says naalakkersuisoq for children and young people, Mariane Paviasen Jensen (IA), to Sermitsiaq.
Naalakkersuisoq otherwise wants children and young people who are to be placed outside the home to be placed in their home town.
– There is a very large bias in placements of children outside the home, says naalakkersuisoq for children and young people, Mariane Paviasen Jensen (IA), to Sermitsiaq.
Naalakkersuisoq otherwise wants children and young people who are to be placed outside the home to be placed in their home town.
But the reality today looks completely different. Naalakkersuisoq mentions as an example that there are no inpatient institutions in either Narsaq or Nanortalik. Children and young people from these cities, who are to be placed outside the home, therefore have to travel from their city and their familiar environment and in some cases also their municipality in order to be placed.
– It is a shame for children when they are placed outside the home in a completely different environment. In my opinion, it can be called a punishment when, in a placement outside the home, you are suddenly moved to a completely different municipality, with a different language and everything that you are not used to. It is not healthy for the children, she says.
Naalakkersuisoq: The municipalities would rather have their own offers
The methods for placing children and young people outside the home are different. Some come into foster families, some are placed in institutions run by the public, such as the municipalities and the Self-Government, while others are placed in facilities owned by private actors.
Naalakkersuisoq tells Sermitsiaq that she held a meeting with the municipalities in June. It was among the conclusions from the meeting that the municipalities want to have more residential institutions for children and young people that they manage themselves. naalakkersuisoq agrees.
– From Naalakkersuisut’s side, we believe that the best result for the child is achieved by placement in the child’s own municipality and hometown. Unless there are very special circumstances, it must be the least intrusive solution for the child. It is important to be able to maintain contact with parents, grandparents and other family members, says Mariane Paviasen Jensen.
– This can be avoided if all municipalities had their own offers, says naalakkersuisoq.
Private actors are temporarily kept out
Sermitsiaq wrote last week that naalakkersuisut has decided to temporarily stop processing applications from private companies that want to establish day care institutions for children and young people.
Naalakkersuisoq justified it by the fact that 22 places are not used. However, after Sermitsiaq’s article, naalakkersuisoq issued a clarification that the municipalities still have the option to apply. Naalakkersuisoq says that she can understand if it is perceived as discrimination.
– You can say that we offer different options to private individuals who want to establish day care institutions, and to the municipalities. There may be something to that, says naalakkersuisoq.
Naalakkersuisoq states that there are between 90 and 100 applications to establish inpatient institutions. During Sermitsiaq’s interview, naalakkersuisoq could not state how many of the applications come from public actors and how many come from private parties.
