Eija was denied assistance - had to move 100 km north

This week, the Children's Convention celebrates its 30th birthday and after the turn of the year, the Children's Convention becomes Swedish law. This means a greater obligation and an increased opportunity for both courts and authorities to put the children's rights in focus. We have met

In the house in Sävast in the municipality of Boden, four-year-old Eija will train with dad Mattias. Eija is multifunctional and needs someone at his side around the clock. Assistance for 20 hours a week is the responsibility of the municipality and when the Social Insurance Agency assessed that Eija's needs were only five and a half hours, Danderyds municipality completely refused and referred to parental responsibility. Without knowing what assessment the municipality of Boden would make, the family chose to move to Mattia's home municipality.

- Since we moved to Boden, we have a working day that works. We have an everyday life where Eija is with us, where she has the opportunity to play with her sisters. Because we have assistants here, she can be involved in a completely different way than she was without assistants. We did not know before we moved what assessment the municipality of Boden would make, but we were lucky that the Municipality of Boden has provided Eija assistance almost 24 hours a day. We have a few hours when we have no help with Eija and that makes a huge difference. Then it is actually the responsibility of the state when it comes to a child like Eija who needs help around the clock, it should not lie in the municipality, says Eija dad Mattias Winblad von Walter.

In Boden, Eija is entitled to assistance, however, she is denied preschool, something that Danderyds municipality could offer. After the turn of the year, the Convention on the Rights of the Child becomes law in Sweden, which means that courts and authorities have a greater obligation to put the children's rights into focus. But for Eija, preschool time runs away.

- In Eijas case, you can only refuse preschool and not have to take the cost of having a special place. We have appealed against other decisions and it takes at least a year to make a decision. We have applied for a preschool again and will appeal, but one year of waiting for it and Eija is soon school age anyway. So you can say that Boden won there, says Mattias Winblad von Walter.