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Aftercare: support from child welfare services after turning 18
Draft, translated: translated from the Norwegian original with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is the authoritative one. See the Norwegian original →
If you had measures from child welfare services before turning 18, you may be entitled to continued support until you turn 25. It requires your own consent.
Norwegian original last checked against official sources: 22 September 2026. Rules and deadlines change, so always check the official site before you act.
Becoming an adult is demanding enough as it is. If you have a background with child welfare services, the transition can be extra vulnerable without someone to lean on. Aftercare (ettervern) is meant to do something about exactly that.
What is aftercare?
Aftercare is a child welfare measure for young people between 18 and 25 years old. If you had measures from child welfare services before turning 18, they can be continued, or replaced by new measures, based on what you need for a good transition to adult life.
Consent is decisive
Measures after turning 18 can only be given if you yourself consent. The child welfare service must contact you well before you turn 18, to assess together with you what you need going forward.
Are you entitled to it?
You do not have an unconditional right to demand that measures be continued. But if the child welfare service chooses not to give you follow-up, the decision must come as a formal decision that you can complain about, in the same way as other decisions from child welfare services.
Do you disagree with the decision?
You can complain to the County Governor (Statsforvalteren), see Complaining about child welfare services. If you need help understanding the decision or complaining, Free legal aid may be relevant.
What can aftercare be?
It varies based on what you need, but can for example involve continuing to live in the foster home or institution for a while longer, financial support, follow-up with housing, education or work, or a contact person to lean on.
Tip: Say clearly what you want help with, as specifically as possible. Aftercare should be tailored to you, not a fixed package everyone gets the same version of.
Child Welfare Act § 3-6, aftercare (Lovdata, Norwegian) →
Sources
Kontaktpunkt24 gives general information, not legal advice. If you need help with your own case, contact a lawyer, a legal aid service, or the relevant authority.
This page is translated from Norwegian with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is always the authoritative one.