Swedish family policy

1. Swedish family policy Ministry of Health and Social Affairs Social Insurance Division Unit for Family Policy and Children’s Rights and Committee of economy and cooperation between separated parents Ms. Jessica Löfvenholm

2. Swedish family policy • The Government´s intention is to strengthen parents´ power over their lives and increase families´ freedom of choice. • The Government wants to: • make it easier for parents to combine working life with family life, • improve the conditions for gender equality, and • reduce national political control in favour of families´ own free choice • The best interest of the child must of be a fundamental value in policies for reconciliation of work and family life.

3. …more family policy Support for • children in financially vulnerable households • families with sick or disabled children Also focus on the situation of children of lone parents, e.g. • appointment of the new committe • new parental support when lone parents fall ill

4. Three strategic reforms with great impact on female labour force participation in Sweden • The introduction of individual taxation (1971) • The introduction of paid parental leave (1974) • Available and effordable child care (steps since 70’s)

5. The objective of financial family policy “Financial family policy shall contribute to better opportunities for good financial living standards for all families with children” Family financial support in 3 programme areas: • insurance • means-tested allowances and • general grants

7. Child and family benefits parental insurance (parental benefit, temporarily parental benefit, pregnancy benefit) gender equality bonus (max EUR 300) child pension and child survivor’s benefits (EUR 130) pension rights for childcare years housing allowance (max EUR 400) care allowance for sick and disabled children maintenance support (EUR 130) child allowance (EUR 100) adoption allowance (EUR 4000) child raising allowance – voluntary for municipalities (EUR 300)

8. Family policy reform 2008-2010 The Government recently introduced • Gender equality bonus – promotes equal sharing of parental leave • Voluntary municipal child raising allowance – smoother transition between leave and work • Child care voucher • Free pre-school for 3 year olds

9. Parental insurance – paid parental leave The parental insurance consists of three kinds of cash benefits: - pregnancy benefit • parental cash benefit in connection with childbirth or adoption - temporary parental benefit

10. Parental benefit days used by men

11. The loss-of-income principle • 80 % of annual income up to a ceiling of EUR 42 200 • the highest parental cash benefit per day is EUR 117 • the lowest parental cash benefit per day is EUR 20

12. Parental cash benefit in connection with childbirth or adoption • parental cash benefit can be received for a period of 480 days • and can be used until the child is eight years old • for 390 days at 80 % of annual income, of which 60 days constitute the so called mum´s and dad´s months (not transferable) • parents with low income or no income at all receive a minimum guaranteed benefit (EUR 20/day) • 90 days at a flat rate which is the same for everybody • (EUR 20/day)

13. Temporary parental benefit • - temporary parental benefit is given to a working parent for care of a sick child up to the age of 12 • - 120 cash benefit days per year and child is available at 80% of annual income • a parent with severe sick children under the age of 18 is • entitled to an unlimited number of days

14. ”Dad´s days” • the father of a new-born child is entitled to 10 days • temporary parental benefit • these days are supposed to be used either to welcome and take care of the child or to take care of older children in the family • these days shall be used within 60 days • about 75 % of all fathers used these days

15. Various forms of childcare Pre-school activities • Preschool (public and private) • Family day care (in someone’s home) • Open pre-school School-age childcare • Leisure-time centres • Family day care (in someone’s home) • Open leisure-time activities

16. Swedish childcare coverage 2006 Pre-school - 79 % (children 1-5 years old) Family day-care - 6 % (children 1-5 years old) School-age childcare Leisure-time centre 78 % (children 6 - 9 years old) 10 % (children 10 -12 years old) Family day-care 1 % (children 6 - 9 years old)

17. Maximum fee – children 1-5 and 6-12 age 1-5: Child 1: 3 % of family’s income before tax– or max SEK 1260 per month Child 2: 2 % of income – or max SEK 840 per month Child 3: 1 % of income – or max SEK 420 per month Child 4: no charge • A daily 3 hours session for all children 3-6 years old is free of charge (universal pre-school) age 6-12: Child 1: 2% of income – max SEK 840 per month Child 2: 1% of income – max SEK 420 per month Child 3: 1% of income – max SEK 420 per month Child 4: no charge

18. Different child care age 1-3 in 2005

19. Expenditure of financial support for families with children

20. Total fertility rate, children per woman 1960-2009

21. Age at birth of first child 1970-2003

22. Social Security and family policy in Sweden @ Internet • www.sweden.gov.se • www.forsakringskassan.se • www. socialstyrelsen.se/en • www.skl.se • www.oecd.org

23. Committee on economy and cooperation between separated parents (S 2009:04) Focus on: • how benefits affects parents to agree on their child’s support and how they take a joint economic responsibility and agree on living arrangements • Common with reciding alternately every other week

24. The committee will look into: • What are the cost/needs of a child • If there is a need for better incentives for parents to agree on issues concerning economy and care of the child • If a special child-account can be a solution • Lone parents possibilities to strike a balance between work and family life

25. Problems that we see: • Shared responsibility after separation – but only one of the parents can receive benefits • No clear objectives of different benefits – support for the child or for lone parent?