Political leader warns of troubling trends in youth care homes in Sweden

According to a political party, the current developments in residential care homes for youth in Sweden are heading in the wrong direction. Rather than receiving the necessary care, young individuals with criminal backgrounds risk becoming further entrenched in crime and being recruited into gangs. This statement was made during a summer speech by party leader Magdalena Andersson in Sandviken.

The proposed changes suggest categorizing the residential care homes into different security classes based on the risk profiles of the youths. This idea has been previously put forward by the Social Democrats. Enhanced powers that would accompany municipal management include the ability for staff to conduct room searches, as well as impose restrictions on electronic communication and time spent outside the facilities. If municipalities were to take over management, it would also lead to increased transparency and monitoring.

Municipalities would be able to collaborate to avoid shouldering the entirety of the residential care responsibilities themselves. “HVB” stands for “Hem för vård och boende,” which translates to “Home for Care and Housing.” These facilities are where social services can place children and teenagers who need assistance or care, such as those working to overcome substance abuse.