The Effect of Covid-19 on Welfare Services for Children with Disabilities

How were children with disabilities affected by the shutdown of public services that followed covid-19? This project is a qualitative study of changes in welfare services in Norway.

This is a qualitative study of how welfare services for children with disabilities have been influenced by the shutdown of public services related to covid-19 in Norway. The project's overall aim is to map out how covid-19 affected the welfare services offered to children with disabilities.

As part of the work, we also examine the extent to which families with children with disabilities have received sufficient information during the pandemic (for example, about infection control measures and public health services). We also examine what consequences that restrictions, or lack of services, have had on family's social relations and relatives' work situation.

The research project is funded by the Directorate for Children, Youth and Families (hereinafter Bufdir) and seeks to produce new knowledge that can enable a more comprehensive understanding of how covid-19 has affected the welfare services for children with disabilities.

Knowledge from the project will, potentially, have an influence on policy development in the field. The project is mainly based on qualitative data (in-depth interviews with families with children with disabilities) and a review of existing research in the field.