Child Protection Services help all children so they can live in acceptable conditions. Report anything you witness or know of to 112.

All children have the right to a secure environment and to be protected against exploitation, abuse, harassment and discrimination. Child Protection Services help children and support families in any way possible to provide the best environment for children.

If you think a child is neglected or abused in any way, it is your duty to notify Child Protective Services. Anyone under the age of 18 is considered a child in Iceland, including unborn babies. You should notify about negligence, incompetence or parent's behaviour towards the child. It can also be about harassment or violence of others towards a child. Do not rely on others to report. 

You can report to Child Protective Services by calling 112 or using the webchat. You can also call your local Child protective service. You need to provide your name but you can always request that your name is kept confidential. Children can also contact authorities themselves. If the child lives in Reykjavík, you can call Reykjavík Child Protective Services at 411 9200 weekdays from 8:20 am-16:15 pm or send a notification through their website. Some other municipalities also allow you to file a report online, such as Akureyri, Hafnarfjörður, Kópavogur and Garðabær.

Child protection service committees in each municipality help children who exist in unacceptable living conditions and provide support for families.

Suðurlandsbraut 50, bláu húsin Skeifunni

Call the Parents’ phone number for counselling and support 24 hours.

The Parents’ House is a comprehensive resource which provides counselling for parents and children, for example:

Parenting- and psychological counselling for risk behaviour and behavioural problems.

Art therapy for children, teenagers and their parents. 

The Parents’ House also does counselling for diverse problems regarding children, adolescents and the family as a whole. To mention a few:

Courses for parents who want to be strengthened in their parenting.  

The Parents’ House receives everyone who come to them. It is very important for the development and wellbeing of children and adolescents to respond to a problem as quickly as possible.

Counsellors speak Icelandic, English, Swedish and Danish. You can have sign language interpretation and language interpretation in collaboration with social services or child protection services if needed. There is no access for wheelchairs at the office.

You can send an email at foreldrahus@foreldrahus.is to receive counselling or make an appointment with a counsellor. You can also call every weekday from 9 am to 4 pm to get advice through the phone number 511 6160. The Parents number 581 1799 is an emergency phone for parents open 24 hours.

Support and empowerment for parents in difficult times

Íslenska, English, dansk, svenska. Language- and sign language interpretation is under the auspices of the referral party.

The Parents’ House (Foreldrahús) provides children, teenagers and parents with counselling regarding teenage alcohol- and drug use, risk behaviour and behavioural problems, among other things. Their phone number 581 1799 is open 24 hours. 

Save the Children offer consultation about children's welfare issues.

Save the Children (Barnaheill) is an organization which protects the rights of children. You can contact them for information on anything regarding the welfare of children, including advice regarding responses to violence against children. They offer legal advice, information about custody issues and children's rights.

On their website, it is possible to report illegal and inappropriate online content regarding or directed at children. Children can report content concerning themselves or other children. Reports are anonymous and forwarded to the police.

If you suspect that a child is being abused, it is your duty to notify child protective services. To report, you can either call 112 or write through the webchat. To get advice, call Save the Children telephone: 553 5900, or send them an email to barnaheill@barnaheill.is.

Protection and information on children's rights

Save the Children (Barnaheill) offers consultation about the welfare of children. On their website, it is possible to report inappropriate online behaviour against children.

Raising a child is one of the most important and demanding challenges that parents deal with in life. Competence in parenting is however neither inherent nor does it come automatically; it takes time to acquire necessary knowledge. 

Contact your service centre to get support for the family.

Children and their families can receive various support at the Reykjavík City Service Centres. For example regarding social situations, illness, divorce, disability and abuse. Children are consulted about the support according to what age and maturity allow. The support is both within and outside the home. 

To receive support, you can make an appointment for an interview with a counsellor at your social service centre by phone or email. Information about service centres can be found on the Reykjavík City website. If you are not sure which service centre is yours, you can see it on this map. You can also call the Reykjavík City phone service at 411 1111 to get more information. It is open there from 8:20 am to 4:15 pm. 

Íslenska, English, polski. Language- and sign language interpretation.

Reykjavík City Service Centres offer social- and family counselling for children and families. There you can get support due to abuse.

Reykjavík City Service Centres

Support for families

Telephone

Email

Website

Accessibility

Languages

More support

Child Protection Services

Parents' house

Save the Children

Parental education