Regulations for the Nordic Foster Care Association, NOFCA

Download regulations for the Nordic Foster Care Association 2016

2016 - 09 -03

§ 1 Nordic Foster Care Association consists of:

• Familieplejen i Danmark (Danish Foster Care Association)
• Norsk Fosterhjemsforening (Norwegian Foster Care Association)
• Familivårdens Centralorganisation (Swedish Foster Care Association)
• Perhehoitoliitto (Finnish Foster Care Association)
• Föreningen Socionomer I Fosterbarnsvården (The professional association of graduated in social science that work with children in placement)
• Barnaverndarstofa (The Government Agency for Child Protection), Iceland
• Familjehemmens Riksförbund (Swedish Foster Care Association)
• Pesäpuu,ry, Centre of expertise in Child Welfare, Finland
• Barnaverndarstova Føroya, (The Government Agency for Child Protection), The Faeroe Islands
• Socialpædagogernes Landsforbund (The Danish union to organize most of the professional foster carers)
• Plejefamiliernes landsforening (Danish Foster Home Association)
• Plejefamiliernes Lokalforening Nuuk, (Greenland Foster Care Association)
• Félag Fósturforeldra, Ísland (Foster Care Association Iceland)
• Forum för Familjevård, Sverige (Network foster care, Sweden)
• Riksforbundet før Forsterkt Familjehemsvård (RFF, Sweden) fra 2016
• Kommunegarfik Sermersooq Avd for Børne og Familier (Grønland) fra 2016

The intake of other organisations can be arranged according to § 7.

§ 2 Purpose/Aims

Nordic Foster Care Association (NOFCA) is an organisation for co-operation between the national foster care associations and other relevant organisations in the field of foster care in the Nordic countries. Its aim is to improve the quality of foster care in these countries through the exchange of experiences and research.

§ 3 Tasks

In order to encourage and support the development of quality in foster care NOFCA will

• Exchange publications (research results)
• Enforce research
• Inspire exchange between professionals, foster carers and youth in foster care
• Intensify the co-operation within the International Foster Care Organisation (IFCO)
• Organize Nordic seminars on different relevant topics
• Make the public aware of certain selected tasks of the year

§ 4 Meeting activity

Normally meetings will be appointed a year at a time. At minimum new meeting dates will be decided upon at the present meeting.

Decision reports will be made at the meetings. Due to the different settings in the Nordic countries there is different amount of members from each country in the Nofca.

The annual Nofca meeting select one Contact-person from each country. The contact person keep in touch with the other Organisations who are members in their country for information. He/she also decide who will attend the next meeting. Just two 2- members from each country can attend the annual meeting.

Each country has two votes, and they need to be represented at the actual Nofca meeting.

§ 5 Secretariat

The president and secretariat is appointed and varies between the member organisations. The function period for each secretariat is two years.

§ 6 Economy

The functioning secretariat is responsible for the secretariat costs. If nothing else has been decided upon than travel and living expenses connected to the ordinary meeting plan are paid for by the individual organisation. Expenses concerned with other activities will be decided upon in the progress of planning them.

§ 7 Membership

Applications for membership will be reviewed and decided upon by the member organisations at ordinary meetings. A minimum of ¾ must vote for the acceptance of new organisations.

Notice of withdrawal is to be received 3 months before the next ordinary meeting. The withdrawal function will normally begin at the end of the present calendar year.

§ 8 Regulations changes and dissolution

Change of the regulations can be decided upon at ordinary meetings. A minimum of ¾ must vote for the change to be valid.

A decision of the dissolution of NOFCA demands at least ¾ of the votes at 2 successive meetings. If this occurs decisions of the distribution of eventual assets and liabilities must be made at the same meeting.

§ 9 Effective

The above regulations are effective from the 15th of May 2000 and updated

in Stockholm, Sweden 31.03.01, in Jyväskylä, Finland 16.02.2002, in Oslo, Norway 18.05.03, and in Helsinki, Finland 04.10.03, Bratislava 04.06.06 and in Oslo 10.11.07.

Tove M S Wahlstrøm Malene Abel Brask
President NOFCA Secretary NOFCA