How can a child protection system be organised so that help is provided before problems escalate?

This question was at the heart of Iceland’s presentation at the “Connect to Protect” international conference, held in Athens on 5–6 October 2026.

The conference heard about Iceland’s reform of its child welfare system, which aims to respond early to the needs of children and families and to ensure effective cooperation between services.

Why the approach to child protection needed to change

The speaker addressed a common problem in child protection systems: professionals often begin to intervene actively only once a child’s or family’s difficulties have already become serious.

As an example, the speaker shared the question of a young person who asked where the services had been five years earlier, when his problems were just beginning.

This story showed that the effectiveness of a child protection system should be judged not only by its ability to respond to crises, but also by its ability to prevent them.

The Child Welfare Act and system reform

Through legislative reform on child welfare, Iceland has sought to develop earlier, more coordinated and family-centred support.

The new approach is based on the principle that children’s difficulties are rarely limited to one area.

A child may have educational, health, psychological and social needs at the same time. Services therefore need to work in a coordinated way around the child and the family.

The approach also aims to reduce the administrative and organisational burden that parents previously carried when seeking support from different services.

The role of the welfare coordinator

A key component of the Icelandic model is the role of the welfare coordinator.

This professional may work in a school, preschool or health service and becomes the family’s first point of contact.

Their task is to help identify the child’s difficulties, navigate the service system and, where needed, arrange appropriate support.

This way, the family does not have to approach different institutions on its own and explain the same problem again and again.

Case management and a joint support plan

In more complex situations, a case manager becomes involved.

Working with the child and the family, the case manager coordinates the work of different professionals and helps develop a joint support plan.

Social workers, teachers, psychologists, health professionals and other relevant actors may take part in this process.

Particular attention is paid to ensuring that support does not stop at simple referrals between services.

It is important to clarify what each professional will do, how results will be assessed and who will ensure continuity of the work.

Participation of the child and family

The active participation of the child and family is a key principle of the Icelandic approach.

The support plan should be based not only on professional assessments, but also on the needs expressed by the family and the child.

This gives a fuller picture of the child’s situation and helps choose the right interventions.

Challenges of implementing the reform

The conference stressed that introducing such a system requires more than legislative change.

It requires training for professionals, clear procedures for information sharing between services, a clear division of roles and effective coordination.

Adequate funding and organisational capacity are also essential.