Published : 27-11-2022
Over the past three months, five Palestinian refugee children were separated from their families in Sweden.
Social Services Office in Sweden, known as “Socialstyrelsen” continue to intern children on claims he/she is at risk of physical or mental harm by parents or family relatives.
Earlier this year, Sweden submitted a draft law for the care of young persons by the social care services. The draft law puts forth amendments on laws related to Swedish care of children and young persons. The so-called “lilla hjartat” (little heart) amendments were issued following the death of a child called Ezmerlada, who died after she was returned to her parents.
The Minister of Health and Social Affairs, Lena Hallengren, said the new five amendments give social services the power to enhance the family’s situation before the child is returned to his/her parents and to act to protect children. Compulsory care will only be ended after social services make sure the parents’ situation has improved.
In case a decision is made to return the child to his/her family, a municipality’s social affairs committee inspects the child’s situation for six months. The parents are also required to undergo a drug consumption test.
A decision to take a child away from their families, according to the Swedish Care of Young Persons (Special Provisions) Act, LVU, must always be based on a significant risk of harm to the child’s health or development. It can either be the situation in the family home or the child’s or young person’s own behaviour that may be deemed harmful or dangerous. Violence or some other form of abuse by the family is one example, another that the child exposes itself to danger or commits crimes. A prerequisite is that it can be assumed – or that the social services know – that the parents and the child don’t agree to the care needed.
Over the past three months, five Palestinian refugee children were separated from their families in Sweden.
Social Services Office in Sweden, known as “Socialstyrelsen” continue to intern children on claims he/she is at risk of physical or mental harm by parents or family relatives.
Earlier this year, Sweden submitted a draft law for the care of young persons by the social care services. The draft law puts forth amendments on laws related to Swedish care of children and young persons. The so-called “lilla hjartat” (little heart) amendments were issued following the death of a child called Ezmerlada, who died after she was returned to her parents.
The Minister of Health and Social Affairs, Lena Hallengren, said the new five amendments give social services the power to enhance the family’s situation before the child is returned to his/her parents and to act to protect children. Compulsory care will only be ended after social services make sure the parents’ situation has improved.
In case a decision is made to return the child to his/her family, a municipality’s social affairs committee inspects the child’s situation for six months. The parents are also required to undergo a drug consumption test.
A decision to take a child away from their families, according to the Swedish Care of Young Persons (Special Provisions) Act, LVU, must always be based on a significant risk of harm to the child’s health or development. It can either be the situation in the family home or the child’s or young person’s own behaviour that may be deemed harmful or dangerous. Violence or some other form of abuse by the family is one example, another that the child exposes itself to danger or commits crimes. A prerequisite is that it can be assumed – or that the social services know – that the parents and the child don’t agree to the care needed.
