Negotiating the Administrative Burden: The Navigation of Welfare Services by Parents with Disabled Children
Peer reviewed, Journal article
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Date
2023Metadata
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Original version
Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research. 2023, 25 (1), 391-403. 10.16993/sjdr.1044Abstract
Drawing on interviews with parents and coordinators, this paper explores the system for
providing public service coordinators to parents with disabled children in Norway and
how parents and coordinators understand and negotiate their roles in administering
public services. Coordinators are service providers employed by municipalities to
help families in need of long-lasting and comprehensive services. The findings reveal
that parents carry an administrative burden, which involves learning about services,
complying with rules and regulations, and managing psychological stress related to
encounters with professionals. Coordinators vary in their interpretation of whether
their role should go beyond providing information regarding services. Parents try to
negotiate a higher degree of involvement from their coordinators, but coordinators
often lack the necessary time and resources. The current state of the coordinator role
may lead to inequalities and arbitrariness in the way families are supported while navigating welfare services.