Sweden has long had a glowing reputation for its lavish childcare facilities and is regularly ranked as one of the best places in the world to raise a family.

Each child is guaranteed a place at a public preschool and no parent is charged more than three per cent of their salary, with fees capped at SEK 1260 ($197, £132) a month for the country's highest earners. All other costs are covered by the state, which spends SEK 56.6bn ($8.9bn, £5.0bn) a year subsidising preschool services, more than its annual defence budget.

Most public nurseries offer care from around 06:00 to 18:00. But with the numbers of parents working flexible or unconventional hours going up, local councils are increasingly providing more overnight and weekend services.

From July, the governing centre-right Alliance has promised to spend $17m (SEK 108.5m, £11m) over the next four years to help more areas improve their services. It says a lot about the nation's long-standing love affair with the welfare state that the main argument from opposition parties is whether that figure will prove to be enough.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21784716

A country that spends more subsidizing child care than it does on its military budget. Even the center-right ruling coalition is spending more on expanding public child care. And no one seems to worry that "they" (whether 'they' are immigrants, minorities, single mothers, etc.) will benefit too much from this subsidy and lose the will to work.

When EVERYONE is covered by the universal healthcare coverage, the individual employer is probably unfazed by the people's missing work, and there is probably a thriving system in place where temps cover the lengthy absences.

It's a win-win.. a new person gets to learn a job that may open permanently at some future date, and the new parents get quality time with their babies, and don't go bankrupt doing it. A lot less guilt too, when you are not being pressured to return early.

For SOME new parents, returning early may be just fine, but they are not forced to because they cannot afford to stay home..


I am always pissed off when I hear our pols bragging about the "parental/family leave" act.. Big deal..time off to help with a sick parent or an ill child..but without pay.. what a deal