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 of	Council of State
Seat	Oslo
Nominator	Prime Minister
Appointer	Monarch with approval of Parliament
Term length	No fixed length
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Norway
Precursor	Minister of the Interior
Formation	1 August 1955
First holder	Aase Bjerkholt
Deputy	State secretaries at the Children, Equality and Social Inclusion
Website	Official 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	Labour	1 August 1955	28 August 1963	8 years, 27 days	Gerhardsen III	[4]
	Karen Grønn-Hagen	Centre	28 August 1963	25 September 1963	28 days	Lyng	[11]
	Aase Bjerkholt	Labour	25 September 1963	12 October 1965	2 years, 17 days	Gerhardsen IV	[12]
	Elsa Skjerven	Christian Democratic	12 October 1965	17 March 1971	5 years, 156 days	Borten	[13]
	Inger Louise Valle	Labour	17 March 1971	18 October 1972	1 year, 215 days	Bratteli I	[5]
	Solveig Sollie	Christian Democratic	16 October 1989	3 November 1990	1 year, 19 days	Syse	[6]
	Matz Sandman	Labour	3 November 1990	15 November 1991	1 year, 12 days	Brundtland III	[7]
	Grete Berget	Labour	15 November 1991	25 October 1996	4 years, 345 days	Brundtland III	[7]
	Sylvia Brustad	Labour	25 October 1996	17 October 1997	357 days	Jagland	[14]
	Valgerd Svarstad Haugland	Christian Democratic	17 October 1997	17 March 2000	2 years, 152 days	Bondevik I	[15]
	Karita Bekkemellem	Labour	17 March 2000	19 October 2001	1 year, 216 days	Stoltenberg I	[16]
	Laila Dåvøy	Christian Democratic	19 October 2001	17 October 2005	3 years, 363 days	Bondevik II	[17]
	Karita Bekkemellem	Labour	17 October 2005	18 October 2007	2 years, 1 day	Stoltenberg II	[8]
	Manuela Ramin-Osmundsen	Labour	18 October 2007	15 February 2008[lower-alpha 1]	120 days	Stoltenberg II	[8]
	Anniken Huitfeldt	Labour	29 February 2008	20 October 2009	1 year, 234 days	Stoltenberg II	[8]
	Audun Lysbakken	Socialist Left	20 October 2009	5 March 2012[lower-alpha 2]	2 years, 137 days	Stoltenberg II	[8]
	Inga Marte Thorkildsen	Socialist Left	23 March 2012	16 October 2013	1 year, 207 days	Stoltenberg II	[8]
	Solveig Horne	Progress	16 October 2013	17 January 2018	4 years, 93 days	Solberg	[2]
	Linda Horstad Helleland	Conservative	17 January 2018	22 January 2019	1 year, 5 days	Solberg	[2]
	Kjell Ingolf Ropstad	Christian Democratic	22 January 2019	20 September 2021	2 years, 241 days	Solberg	[18]
	Olaug Bollestad	Christian Democratic	20 September 2021	14 October 2021	24 days	Solberg	[19]
	Kjersti Toppe	Centre	14 October 2021	present	3 years, 14 days	Støre	[20]

Notes

1. Trond Giske was acting minister from 15 to 29 February.
2. Kristin Halvorsen was acting minister from 5 to 23 March.

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. "Her er den nye regjeringen" (in Norwegian). Aftenposten. 22 January 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
19. "Bollestad overtok for Ropstad uten seremoni" (in Norwegian). Stavanger Aftenblad. 20 September 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
20. "Norge har fått ny regjering" (in Norwegian). NRK. 14 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.