Child Prosperity Council established for capital area

The signing ceremony was held during the annual general meeting of the Association of Municipalities in the Capital Area at Garðaholt in Garðabær. The council's establishment is a key step toward a coordinated effort by municipalities and state institutions to provide integrated services for child prosperity.

The Child Prosperity Council serves as a forum for joint policy making and consultation in accordance with the Act on the Integration of Services in the Interest of Children's Prosperity. Establishing the council strengthens dialogue and cooperation between state and municipal service parties. The council's goal is to strengthen and coordinate services for children in the capital area through an integrated, early and comprehensive approach.

"An important milestone was reached today when the Child Prosperity Council for the capital area was established, the fifth nationwide. The Child Prosperity Council covers the country's main urban center and brings us a step closer to providing children with integrated services without barriers throughout the country," says Guðmundur Ingi Kristinsson, Minister of Education and Children.

Service providers are members of the council

Council members include six municipalities – Reykjavík, Kópavogur, Hafnarfjörður, Garðabær, Mosfellsbær and Seltjarnarnes. These municipalities play a key role in services for children, as they are responsible for school support services, recreational and leisure activities, social services and child protection. In addition to the municipalities, council members include Primary Care of the Capital Area, Reykjavík Metropolitan Police, secondary schools in the capital area and the capital area's sports associations.

The council will prioritize actions and create a four-year action plan for approval by all parties. These efforts are based on cooperation among service providers and connect to all major aspects of prosperity: education, health and well-being, social status and quality of life, safety, participation and social connections. A special focus will be on early intervention and community prevention.

"When service parties work together toward common goals, we are better able to support children and families at the right time," says Hanna Borg Jónsdóttir, project manager for the Child Prosperity Council of the capital area. "This new cooperation is built on solid professional knowledge and the conviction that child prosperity is our shared responsibility."

Council's work to be based on data and consultation

The council will use existing data and build on extensive prior consultation. This includes results from the Icelandic Youth Survey, which will serve as a guide for prioritization and performance measurement. The council will also benefit from the results of workshops organized by police in the municipalities, where staff from police, primary care, municipalities, secondary schools and sports clubs have worked together on solutions for children in vulnerable situations.

Additionally, the council will draw on the action plan of the capital area's regional sports authority, developed in cooperation with all sports clubs in the area and aimed at increasing sports participation among children and young people. The council will also use analyses from the Association of Municipalities in the Capital Area regarding prevention, mental health care and resources in primary schools. Cooperation with prosperity implementation managers in the capital area will also be crucial, as they have identified the main challenges related to integrating services for children and young people.

Child prosperity councils in all regions

The child prosperity councils in Iceland are based on an agreement between the Ministry of Education and Children and seven regional associations of municipalities, signed in Oct. 2024. With the agreement, all municipalities in the country committed to beginning implementation of Article 5 of Act on the Integration of Services in the Interest of Children's Prosperity. The goal is for children and parents to receive appropriate services without barriers, and establishing these councils marks a key step in that implementation.