Swedish Government Moves to Regulate Family Care Homes to Protect Children

The Swedish government is speeding up efforts to regulate family care homes to prevent harm to children by unsuitable operators. Social Services Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall highlighted distressing cases where children suffered abuse in inappropriate family homes, underscoring the urgency for national regulation. Currently, family homes that lose contracts in one municipality can reopen elsewhere without prior concerns being registered, allowing potentially harmful homes to continue operating.

To address this, the government proposes a national permit system governing who can operate family care homes, alongside increased resources for the Health and Care Inspectorate (Ivo) to enhance oversight. Officials aim to counteract the problem of "false family homes," where multiple children live in one location without proper regulation.

A new register will assist social services in tracking family homes and intervening where repeated reports indicate risk, with failure to act potentially considered a service error. Ivo will draft a legislative proposal in consultation with relevant health and municipal authorities, aiming to have a report ready by January 29, 2027.

Minister Waltersson Grönvall emphasized the importance of taking children's information seriously, aiming to safeguard vulnerable children from moving through multiple unsafe placements. This initiative represents a significant step towards ensuring better protection within the Swedish family care system.