Swedish programs for children: A comprehensive approach to family needs

In Sweden, as in the United States, the family bears the primary responsibility for child rearing. The article reviews Sweden's social policy of services to individuals and groups and discusses the application of this policy in supportive programs which aid families with young children. The different kinds of child care options currently available in Sweden are described, as well as the supplementary benefits which families receive. Then the article considers program funding and the procedures used to develop services at the community level. A comparison is drawn between the Swedish model and child care and family services in the United States. It is concluded that the viability of American families would be strengthened by additional services to support them in their child rearing roles.