Nursery Committee findings followed up on
The City Executive Council approved four proposals today to follow up on a committee report examining operations at the Thorvaldsens Association Nursery from 1974-1979.
An independent committee appointed by Reykjavík City to examine operations at the Thorvaldsens Association Nursery in Reykjavík from 1974-1979 presented its findings to the City Executive Council on Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. This follow-up investigation was conducted after a previous examination of nursery operations in the city from 1949-1973. On Tuesday, Jan. 20, the City Council approved a resolution apologizing to those who were placed at the Thorvaldsens Association Nursery from 1974 to 1979 and their families for the treatment described in the Nursery Committee report.
Mental health or psychological services offered to former nursery residents
The first proposal the City Executive Council approved today ensures that Reykjavík City will provide individuals placed in the nursery with free mental health or psychological services or, when appropriate, other specialized assistance. The services are similar to those approved by the City Executive Council on Jan. 20 following the investigation by the previous Nursery Committee. The City Council directed the Office of the Mayor and Chief Executive Officer, in partnership with specialists in the field, to develop a detailed proposal ensuring free mental health or psychological services for those affected as soon as possible.
Nursery children can request the service by calling Reykjavík City at 411-1400 and indicating that their matter concerns nurseries, or by emailing voggustofur@reykjavik.is , which is monitored by a Reykjavík City employee. More details about the arrangements are available in the follow-up documents. It's difficult to estimate how many former residents will request free mental health or psychological services, but officials initially expect about 40 individuals needing 3-10 sessions each. The estimated cost is about 15 million króna, with most expected to be incurred this year.
Report referred to Welfare Council and Human Rights Council
The second proposal addresses oversight and implementation in child protection. Following publication of the previous Nursery Committee report, Reykjavík City implemented several measures. The Nursery Committee that examined operations from 1974-1979 believes that in addition to the issues the City is already reviewing, it's crucial to ensure adequate descriptions and documentation exist, not only for handling and processing individual cases, but also for the child protection system as a whole. The Nursery Committee also notes that when evaluating the quality of child protection services, it's generally crucial to consider the outcomes and well-being of individuals under child protection, ensure evidence-based methods are consistently used, and to assess the long-term success of the work and methods employed. The City Executive Council therefore voted to refer the nursery report to the Welfare Council and Human Rights Council for their official statements.
Call to finalize redress compensation bill as soon as possible
The third proposal addresses the liability of the state and municipalities for damages. The Nursery Committee recommends following the previous Nursery Committee's proposal that appropriate authorities assess whether and to what extent efforts should be made to compensate individuals placed at Hlíðarendi Nursery and the Thorvaldsens Association Nursery through financial compensation. The Nursery Committee emphasizes the importance of recognizing that redress compensation — as a remedy for individuals who were placed in institutional care under public authority — has received significant public attention in recent years. The committee believes that this fact alone makes it critically important — especially for this group of individuals — that the state and municipalities adopt a clear position on whether, under what circumstances, and for which time periods and placement arrangements such compensation might be considered."
A draft bill on redress compensation, prepared by the Prime Minister’s Office, was published on the government’s Consultation Portal at the end of 2022 and was later introduced in Alþingi during the 2023–2024 winter session, but did not pass. The bill has not been reintroduced and is not on the 2025-2026 parliamentary agenda. According to information from the Prime Minister's Office at the beginning of 2026, the Ministry of Justice has assumed responsibility for the initiative and is evaluating which approaches are most viable. The City Executive Council now urges the Ministry of Justice to finalize the bill as soon as possible in order to provide financial redress to individuals who were placed in the care of the Hlíðarendi Nursery and the Thorvaldsens Association Nursery.
No legal basis for further investigations
The fourth and final proposal states that no additional investigations of nurseries will be conducted under Act No. 45/2022 because there is no evidence that other institutional homes for children were specifically classified as nurseries.