Negotiating the Administrative Burden: The Navigation of Welfare Services by Parents with Disabled Children

Abstract

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.