Minister of Children and Families

The Minister of Children and Families (Norwegian: Barne- og familieministeren,[1] Northern Sami: mánáid- ja bearašministtar) is a Councilor of State and Chief of Norway's Ministry of Children and Family Affairs.[2] Since 14 October 2021, Kjersti Toppe has held the position. The ministry is responsible for policy and public operations related to children, youth and families as well as consumer rights. Major agencies subordinate to the ministry include the Consumer Council and the Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs.[3]

Minister of Children and Families of Norway
Barne- og familieministeren
Incumbent
Kjersti Toppe
since 14 October 2021
Ministry of Children and Families
Member ofCouncil of State
SeatOslo
NominatorPrime Minister
AppointerMonarch
with approval of Parliament
Term lengthNo fixed length
Constituting instrumentConstitution of Norway
PrecursorMinister of the Interior
Formation1 August 1955
First holderAase Bjerkholt
DeputyState secretaries at the Children, Equality and Social Inclusion
WebsiteOfficial website

The position was created as the Minister of Families and Consumer Affairs on 1 August 1955 as part of Gerhardsen's Third Cabinet. The Labour Party's Aase Bjerkholt as the inaugural minister. While at first a consultative minister, she received her own ministry on 21 December 1956.[4] Sixteen people from four parties have held the position. It has been a favored position of the Christian Democratic Party, who have held it in all center-right governments they have participated in except during the four weeks of Lyng's Cabinet, when it was held by Karen Grønn-Hagen of the Centre Party. The minister position was discontinued on 8 May 1972, when the portfolio was transferred to the Minister of Consumer Affairs and Government Administration.[5] The position was recreated under the original name on 16 October 1989 and occupied by Solveig Sollie of the Christian Democratic Party.[6] When her successor Matz Sandman of the Labour Party took over the following year, it was renamed the Minister of Children and Family Affairs.[7] With the appointment of Karita Bekkemellem (Labour) in 2005, the position changed name the Minister of Children and Equality, receiving responsibility for the government's anti-discrimination policies. She would be the first of six ministers during Stoltenberg's Second Cabinet, with the three last representing the Socialist Left Party. With these the position changed to its current name, but lost its responsibilities for kindergartens.[8]

The position has been dominated by females—the only males to hold the position were Matz Sandman (Labour, 1990–91), Audun Lysbakken (Socialist Left, 2009–12) and Kjell Ingolf Ropstad (Christian Democratic, 2019–21). Manuela Ramin-Osmundsen (Labour) became the first non-white minister of Norway when she was appointed in 2007.[9] Both she and Lysbakken were forced to resign after issues related to cronyism.[10] Two people have held the position twice: Bjerkholdt and Karita Bekkemellem. With a tenure of ten years, Bjerkholdt has held the position the longest.

Key

The following lists the minister, their party, date of assuming and leaving office, their tenure in years and days, and the cabinet they served in.

  Centre Party
  Christian Democratic Party
  Conservative Party
  Labour Party
  Progress Party
  Socialist Left Party

Ministers
Photo Name Party Took office Left office Tenure Cabinet Ref
Aase Bjerkholt Labour1 August 195528 August 19638 years, 27 daysGerhardsen III[4]
Karen Grønn-Hagen Centre28 August 196325 September 196328 daysLyng[11]
Aase Bjerkholt Labour25 September 196312 October 19652 years, 17 daysGerhardsen IV[12]
Elsa Skjerven Christian Democratic12 October 196517 March 19715 years, 156 daysBorten[13]
Inger Louise Valle Labour17 March 197118 October 19721 year, 215 daysBratteli I[5]
Solveig Sollie Christian Democratic16 October 19893 November 19901 year, 19 daysSyse[6]
Matz Sandman Labour3 November 199015 November 19911 year, 12 daysBrundtland III[7]
Grete Berget Labour15 November 199125 October 19964 years, 345 daysBrundtland III[7]
Sylvia Brustad Labour25 October 199617 October 1997357 daysJagland[14]
Valgerd Svarstad Haugland Christian Democratic17 October 199717 March 20002 years, 152 daysBondevik I[15]
Karita Bekkemellem Labour17 March 200019 October 20011 year, 216 daysStoltenberg I[16]
Laila Dåvøy Christian Democratic19 October 200117 October 20053 years, 363 daysBondevik II[17]
Karita Bekkemellem Labour17 October 200518 October 20072 years, 1 dayStoltenberg II[8]
Manuela Ramin-Osmundsen Labour18 October 200715 February 2008[lower-alpha 1]120 daysStoltenberg II[8]
Anniken Huitfeldt Labour29 February 200820 October 20091 year, 234 daysStoltenberg II[8]
Audun Lysbakken Socialist Left20 October 20095 March 2012[lower-alpha 2]2 years, 137 daysStoltenberg II[8]
Inga Marte Thorkildsen Socialist Left23 March 201216 October 20131 year, 207 daysStoltenberg II[8]
Solveig Horne Progress16 October 201317 January 20184 years, 93 daysSolberg[2]
Linda Horstad Helleland Conservative17 January 201822 January 20191 year, 5 daysSolberg[2]
Kjell Ingolf Ropstad Christian Democratic22 January 201920 September 2021[lower-alpha 3]2 years, 241 daysSolberg[18]
Kjersti Toppe Centre14 October 2021present1 year, 362 daysStøre[19]

Notes
  1. Trond Giske was acting minister from 15 to 29 February.
  2. Kristin Halvorsen was acting minister from 5 to 23 March.
  3. Olaug Bollestad was acting minister from 20 September to 14 October 2021.

References
  1. "Samferdselsminister Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa". Government.no. 20 October 2009. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
  2. "Erna Solberg's Government". Government.no. 16 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  3. "About the ministry". Government.no. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  4. "Einar Gerhardsen's Third Government". Government.no. 12 December 2006. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  5. "Trygve Bratteli's First Government". Government.no. 12 December 2006. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  6. "Jan Syse's Government". Government.no. 12 December 2006. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  7. "Gro Harlem Brundtland's Third Government". Government.no. 12 December 2006. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  8. "Jens Stoltenberg's Second Government". Government.no. 15 February 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  9. "Children's minister quits under fire". Aftenposten. 14 February 2008. Archived from the original on 16 April 2008.
  10. Løset, Kjetil (April 2012). "Exit fra Regjeringen" (in Norwegian). TV2. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
  11. "John Lyng's Government". Government.no. 12 December 2006. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  12. "Einar Gerhardsen's Fourth Government". Government.no. 12 December 2006. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  13. "Per Borten's Government". Government.no. 12 December 2006. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  14. "Thorbjørn Jagland's Government". Government.no. 12 December 2006. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  15. "Kjell Magne Bondevik's First Government". Government.no. 12 December 2006. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  16. "Jens Stoltenberg's First Government". Government.no. 13 December 2006. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  17. "Kjell Magne Bondevik's Second Government". Government.no. 13 December 2006. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  18. "Here's the New Cabinet". Aftenposten. 22 January 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  19. "Norge har fått ny regjering" (in Norwegian). NRK. 14 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
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