New report: Children’s rights in parental support initiatives

On 10 March, the Swedish Family Law and Parental Support Authority (MFoF) launched a new report about children’s rights in parental support initiatives written by Frida Lygnegård, researcher at the School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University. In connection with the launch of the report they also put out a webinar where Frida Lygnegård presents the result findings in the report.

Frida Lygnegård is a researcher at the School of Health and Welfare at Jönköping University and the main focus of her research is children’s and youth’s rights. During the autumn of 2020, she has been working with a task from the Swedish Family Law and Parental Support Authority and the task has now resulted in a report about how children’s rights can be made visible during parental support initiatives.

“It has been a very rewarding collaboration with the Swedish Family Law and Parental Support Authority, and it feels good that they now choose to launch the report and the webinar at the same time. In the broadcast, I start by talking about the report I wrote, and it later also includes staff from the The Ombudsman for Children in Sweden and Save the Children. In addition, a group of children also participate in the webinar, which is completely in line with what I advocate in my research and teaching, i.e., the importance of us taking the children's own perspectives into account,” says Frida Lygnegård.

In line with national strategy

The Swedish Family Law and Parental Support Authority (MFoF) is an expert authority for parental support, family advice, and questions relating to the family law matters handled by municipal social welfare committees. On 30 August 2018, the Swedish Government decided on a new national strategy for improved parenting support, where the goal is for all parents to be offered parenting support throughout the child's upbringing. The national strategy strengthens the writings on the rights of the child and states that the principle of the best interests of the child shall permeate the parental support provided.

“In line with the Government's national strategy, I was commissioned by MFoF to carry out a literature review of current research on children's rights to provide a picture of the existing knowledge. The report can be used as a knowledge support for decision-makers and professionals who work with the implementation and follow-up of parenting support initiatives, but also as a guide on how the child's own voice has been considered in written material concerning these interventions. My hope is also that the literature review can contribute to increased collaboration around a strengthened parenting support between affected actors at both local and regional as well as national level,” says Frida Lygnegård.

A longer version of this text is available in Swedish which you can reach by clicking here. Opens in new window.