Extending the partnership to strengthen local efforts for children and youth

Kavli Trust is extending its partnership with the Centre for Evidence and Implementation (CEI) in the Nordic region and their project "Children First!", which aims to improve the overall local support system for children in a more systematic and long-term way in Norwegian municipalities.

“Kavli Trust has a proud tradition of supporting projects that help improve everyday life for all children and young people — especially the most vulnerable. We are very grateful for the foundation’s continued interest in and support for "Children First!",” says Arild Bjørndal, Director of CEI in the Nordic region.

One year of mapping

The first phase of "Children First!" was carried out in 2023 by Arild Bjørndal and former Senior Advisor at CEI Nordic, Lise Corwin, in close collaboration with the three participating municipalities: Hå, Gausdal, and Gjesdal.

CEI supported the municipalities in mapping how various local actors work to ensure the best possible conditions for children and young people growing up in their communities, and what is being done for those at risk of facing various challenges.

They then assessed both the strengths and weaknesses of this work, what could be improved, and how to make those improvements happen. Each municipality also identified a set of priority areas for local action.

For the past year, local leadership teams in Hå, Gausdal, and Gjesdal — together with the voluntary sector and local businesses — have taken a close look at their own efforts for children and youth through this process.

According to Bjørndal, the experience shows that municipalities have a good understanding of what they are already doing well — and how they can improve and renew other parts of their work.

“Through "Children First!", we support skilled professionals who go to work every day to make life better for children and young people. At CEI, we contribute with a structured approach and an outside perspective, helping local services make an even greater impact,” he says.

“Now that the mapping phase is complete, we are establishing a set of priority development tracks to follow up together. These include areas such as parenting support, children’s right to participation, and a strength-based approach to mental health promotion,” says Bjørndal.

A strength-based approach involves seeing the local community and its residents as core resources in public health work.

Evidence-based, scalable solutions

"Children First!" is grounded in national and international research on childhood development and effective (and ineffective) approaches. The initiative is built on the idea of using the entire local community as a resource in supporting children and youth.

One of its key ambitions is to develop sound, scalable solutions that can eventually be expanded to other municipalities in Norway — while also making it easier for all local actors working with children and youth to detect and address challenges early.

This, in turn, may contribute to the broader goal of reducing unnecessary referrals to specialist health services and the number of children requiring child welfare interventions.

“If we are to succeed in supporting children, young people, and parents in meaningful ways, we must work systematically, holistically, and over the long term — everywhere we meet them throughout their upbringing. Only then can we truly succeed in public health,” says Arild Bjørndal.

Read more: About “Children First!” at Kommunespeilet

CEI and "Children First!"

• The Centre for Evidence and Implementation (CEI) is a global non-profit knowledge organization that runs a wide range of social improvement projects, with a particular focus on creating better conditions for children’s upbringing.
• The "Children First!" pilot project was developed and is led by Arild Bjørndal, Director of CEI in the Nordic region. As part of its commitment to improving everyday life for children and youth where they live, Kavli Trust has been a financial supporter of the project since 2023.
• In collaboration with the three participating municipalities — Gausdal, Gjesdal, and Hå — CEI has mapped and evaluated the overall local efforts aimed at supporting children and young people in these communities.
• The goal is to improve collaboration among all actors influencing children’s lives and to reduce the number of referrals to specialist health services.
• By strengthening local efforts for children and youth across sectors and professions, the project also aims to develop sustainable, scalable solutions that can be shared with other municipalities over time.
• With continued support from Kavli Trust in 2024, local improvement measures are now being implemented. The three municipalities are working together to strengthen parental collaboration. Other initiatives include better integration of immigrant youth, prevention of school absenteeism, and new partnerships with the business community.