In a report from 2018, the National Board of Health and Welfare states that around 30,000 children in Sweden have at least one parent in prison or probation.
The report shows that the majority of municipalities in the country have neither specific initiatives nor preventive work for the target group.
- This target group is very forgotten and punished for something that someone else has done, says Lara Dashian, operations manager at Bufff Uppsala (Children and youth with parent / family member in prison) who works to support affected children.
Wants the municipality to pay for travel
The Liberals in Älvkarleby have recently presented two motions to increase support for children with parents deprived of their liberty.
Among other things, they want to investigate whether the municipality can finance travel and accommodation for children who need to travel far to visit their parents in prison.
- This group is particularly vulnerable, and we want to make sure that they receive the support to which they are entitled.
On the one hand, they are deprived of their parents, and then it is also very shameful to have a parent in prison, says group leader Ann-Charlotte Ågren (L).
In the clip: The organization Bufff and the Liberals in Älvkarleby explain why they have more resources for children with parents deprived of their liberty.