# Minister of Children and Families

The Minister of Children and Families (Norwegian: Barne- og familieministeren, Northern Sami: mánáid- ja bearašministtar) is a Councilor of State and Chief of Norway's Ministry of Children and Family Affairs. Since 4 February 2025, Lene Vågslid 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.
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. 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. The position was recreated under the original name on 16 October 1989 and occupied by Solveig Sollie of the Christian Democratic Party. When her successor Matz Sandman of the Labour Party took over the following year, it was renamed the Minister of Children and Family Affairs. 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.
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. Both she and Lysbakken were forced to resign after issues related to cronyism. 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

| Name | Party | Took office | Left office | Tenure | Cabinet |
| Aase Bjerkholt | Labour | 1 August 1955 | 28 August 1963 | 8 years, 27 days | Gerhardsen III |
| Karen Grønn-Hagen | Centre | 28 August 1963 | 25 September 1963 | 28 days | Lyng |
| Aase Bjerkholt | Labour | 25 September 1963 | 12 October 1965 | 2 years, 17 days | Gerhardsen IV |
| Elsa Skjerven | Christian Democratic | 12 October 1965 | 17 March 1971 | 5 years, 156 days | Borten |
| Inger Louise Valle | Labour | 17 March 1971 | 18 October 1972 | 1 year, 215 days | Bratteli I |
| Solveig Sollie | Christian Democratic | 16 October 1989 | 3 November 1990 | 1 year, 19 days | Syse |
| Matz Sandman | Labour | 3 November 1990 | 15 November 1991 | 1 year, 12 days | Brundtland III |
| Grete Berget | Labour | 15 November 1991 | 25 October 1996 | 4 years, 345 days | Brundtland III |
| Sylvia Brustad | Labour | 25 October 1996 | 17 October 1997 | 357 days | Jagland |
| Valgerd Svarstad Haugland | Christian Democratic | 17 October 1997 | 17 March 2000 | 2 years, 152 days | Bondevik I |
| Karita Bekkemellem | Labour | 17 March 2000 | 19 October 2001 | 1 year, 216 days | Stoltenberg I |
| Laila Dåvøy | Christian Democratic | 19 October 2001 | 17 October 2005 | 3 years, 363 days | Bondevik II |
| Karita Bekkemellem | Labour | 17 October 2005 | 18 October 2007 | 2 years, 1 day | Stoltenberg II |
| Manuela Ramin-Osmundsen | Labour | 18 October 2007 | 15 February 2008 | 120 days | Stoltenberg II |
| Anniken Huitfeldt | Labour | 29 February 2008 | 20 October 2009 | 1 year, 234 days | Stoltenberg II |
| Audun Lysbakken | Socialist Left | 20 October 2009 | 5 March 2012 | 2 years, 137 days | Stoltenberg II |
| Inga Marte Thorkildsen | Socialist Left | 23 March 2012 | 16 October 2013 | 1 year, 207 days | Stoltenberg II |
| Solveig Horne | Progress | 16 October 2013 | 17 January 2018 | 4 years, 93 days | Solberg |
| Linda Horstad Helleland | Conservative | 17 January 2018 | 22 January 2019 | 1 year, 5 days | Solberg |
| Kjell Ingolf Ropstad | Christian Democratic | 22 January 2019 | 20 September 2021 | 2 years, 241 days | Solberg |
| Olaug Bollestad | Christian Democratic | 20 September 2021 | 14 October 2021 | 24 days | Solberg |
| Kjersti Toppe | Centre | 14 October 2021 | 4 February 2025 | 3 years, 113 days | Støre |
| Lene Vågslid | Labour | 4 February 2025 | present | 0 days | Støre |