Classification of Child Welfare Regions

The regions of Bufetat provide child and family protection services on behalf of the state. The responsibility is regulated by "Lov om barneverntjenester". The Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs (Bufdir) is responsible for the management of Bufetat. For practical purposes Bufetat is divided into five underlying regions: Region East, Region South, Region West, Region Middle-Norway and Region North. In the municipality of Oslo, the tasks and authority of the state regional authority is handled by the municipality itself.

Child Welfare Regions 2004

Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs (Bufdir) was established in 2004. Until then the counties were responsible. Oslo was excepted and kept the responsibility also after 2004. Until the regional structural reform in 2020, each region consisted of mutually exclusive counties. After the regional reform in 2020, Viken county is divided between Region south and Region east.