Sweden

Sweden – a pocket guide 141
Different types of child care are available for children of
different ages. The youngest children are cared for at preschools,
sometimes called dagis or day nurseries, and family
day nurseries. Children who are at home with their
parents can go to open pre-schools, öppna förskolor*.
Slightly older children attending pre-school or school
classes are provided with child care at recreation centres or
family day nursery. These are intended as a complement
to the schools and provide children with meaningful leisure
time and support in their development. Open leisure
activities, öppen fritidsverksamhet*, are available to children
between ten and twelve years of age.
Young children
Pre-schools have trained personnel and are usually open
year round. At family day nurseries, one adult takes several
children into his or her home and keeps them occupied
during the day. They are known as child-minders or “day
mothers”. Both pre-schools and family day nurseries try to
adapt their hours of opening to meet the needs of parents
and children.
Most pre-schools are municipally run, with a staff
employed by the municipality. There are also parental cooperative,
föräldrakooperativa*, pre-schools, which are
owned and operated by parents with grant money from the
municipality, and staff co-operative, personalkooperativa,
pre-schools, which are owned and operated by the staff,
also with grant money from the municipality. Some preschools
employ special teaching methods, pedagogik*.
Others have a religious affiliation. At some pre-schools, a
language other than Swedish is spoken; some childminders
know other languages, too. Some municipalities have preschools
where the children learn several languages.
Contact the municipality to find out whether child care
is available in your native language.
öppen förskola:
premises with
trained personnel
where stay-athome
parents
can take their
children.
öppen
fritidsverksamhet:
premises with
adult staff where
schoolchildren
between ten and
twelve can come
after school. They
can buy snacks
and there are
also games and
toys.
kooperativ:
jointly owned
and operated by
several people.
pedagogik:
the method
used for teaching
other people.
The phrase is
also used in
the sense of
“science of
education and
upbringing”.
Child care