Family

Information about
Swedish schools, preschools,
parental and children benefits.

See below.

Dual Career & Spouse Support

Read more on the following page
Dual Career and Spouse Support

Family-friendly life the Swedish way

Additional information is to be found at sweden.se

If you have children, you should locate a preschool or school as early as possible. Contact the municipality where you are going to live in order to enroll the child, either to a Swedish-speaking preschool/school or an international preschool/school.

Read more about schools

In Swedish preschools, play is a key component. There is a focus on basic values such as playing together, tolerance and consideration for others. Preschool is for children aged 1 to 5.

The year the child turns 6, he or she can participate in a non-compulsory preschool class (sexårsverksamhet) designed to help children meet future classmates and prepare for primary school without the stress of heavy studies or homework.

From the ages of 7 to 16, all children in Sweden are required to attend the compulsory school (grundskola), where they are taught a core group of basic subjects. Families can apply for before/after-school care for their children (fritids).

There is a charge for preschools and after-school care, but from the age of 6, all schooling in Sweden is free of charge and includes a hot lunch. Note, there is usually a fee for private schools and international schools.

Preschool

Preschool (förskola) or day care allows you as a parent to work during the day while providing a safe and stimulating environment for your child. Your child can be at preschool from 6:30 to 18:30 (the opening hours can vary) every weekday except certain public holidays.

Fees are based on your household income as well as the number of children you currently have enrolled. All municipalities apply a system of maximum fees. This means that there is a cap on how high fees can be for a family. Every child is guaranteed a place in a preschool from the age of one, subject to certain regulations.

Find out more about preschools in your city by contacting your EURAXESS Centre

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Schools

Ann-Sofie Rosenkvist/imagebank.sweden.se

Preschool class. All children are to be offered a place in a preschool class starting in the autumn term of the year they turn 6 until they start compulsory school.

Compulsory school is mandatory and is open to all children aged 7-16. It is composed of 9 school years and each school year consists of a fall and spring semester.

Upper secondary school is for young people aged 16-20. The school is free, non-compulsory schooling that young people can choose after completing compulsory school. Upper secondary consists of national programmes, specially designed programmes and individual programmes.

Contact your municipality to find out more about schools in your area and to enroll your child.

International schools. Contact your host university or the municipality where you are going to live.

Pregnancy and Maternity

Parental leave

Sweden has one of the most generous parental leave (föräldraledighet) systems in the world. According to the Parental Leave Act employees are entitled to be absent from work to take care of their children until the child is 8 years of age. During parental leave, the parents’ allowance is paid by the Social Insurance Agency, (Försäkringskassan) in accordance with the law. www.forsakringskassan.se.

Parental benefits

Parental benefit is money you receive to be able to be at home with your child instead of working, seeking work or studying. Parents are granted 480 days of leave per child. 390 of these days are income based and 90 days are at the minimum level. It is not your employer who covers the cost of your parent benefit but the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan). Read more about parental benefits and find out if you are elegible for it at www.forsakringskassan.se

Maternity clinics

The maternity clinic (MVC) mödravårdscentralen, is primarily for pregnant women. You go to the maternity clinic throughout your pregnancy to check that both the child and you yourself are doing well. Visits to the maternity clinic are free.

Child health centre

As a parent, you can get help here. At the child health centre, or barnavårdscentralen (BVC), you can get tips about your child’s development, breast-feeding, food and illnesses. When you come home after the childbirth, you can contact the child health centre yourself to make an appointment for a first meeting. The first meeting is often held at home. At the meeting the nurse tells you about the child health centre and looks to see how your baby is doing.

Child allowance

Children who live in Sweden start receiving a child allowance the month after their birth. The allowance is paid until the child turns 16.

Register with Försäkringskassan

You need to register with Försäkringskassan (the Swedish Social Insurance Agency) to qualify for benefits. Read more at www.forsakringskassan.se