Research has consistently shown, both nationally and internationally, that children and young people placed in community care—whether through coercive measures like LVU or voluntary placements such as SoL—face a higher risk of poor health outcomes. These individuals often do not receive the healthcare they need and are entitled to. This concern led to the enactment of the Act on Health Examinations of Children and Young People Placed Outside Their Own Home (2017:209). However, in May 2022, a report by the Riksdag's follow-up and evaluation group within the Committee on Social Affairs highlighted several shortcomings and issues with the implementation of this law.
Our research project, titled Health Examinations of Children and Young People in Sweden – A Client and Practitioner Perspective, is led by Godfried van Agthoven and his supervisors. This project aims to explore these challenges from both the clients' and practitioners' perspectives, seeking to improve the healthcare services provided to these vulnerable groups.
Why do less than half of all children and young people in care in Sweden receive their health examination?
Less than half of all children and young people in care in Sweden receive their health examinations due to several challenges:1. Inconsistent Guidelines: There is a lack of standardized guidelines across the country, leading to variations in how health examinations are conducted.
2. Collaboration Issues: Effective cooperation between social services and healthcare providers is often lacking. This can result in delays or failures in initiating necessary health examinations for children in care.
3. Focus on Child-Centered Care: While social workers prioritize the needs of children and young people, the practical implementation of health examinations can differ between social services and healthcare systems, leading to gaps in service delivery.
These factors highlight the need for improved coordination and consistent practices to ensure that all children in care receive the health assessments they require.
What is the quality of health examinations in two regions in Sweden?
In 2024, a new study has been launched to evaluate the quality of health examinations conducted in two regions in Sweden. This study aims to compare the quality across different healthcare providers, as well as examine variations by gender and age. Medical records of children and young people who have undergone health examinations will be reviewed, and the quality of these examinations will be assessed.While previous research has identified the healthcare needs of children and young people in community care, there is limited information on how these health examinations are generally conducted and their overall quality. This study seeks to fill that gap.In spring 2024, Godfried van Agthoven received a grant of SEK 200,000 from Majblomman Riksförbund to be able to begin this study. Read more on the Majblomman Riksförbund website.The project is financially supported by the Department of Paediatrics and R&D Skaraborg Hospital Skövde
We will continue to update this page with new developments throughout the project.
