Family reunification and labour market attachment of parents with children in out-of-home care in Sweden

ICON members Viviane S. Straatmann, Tanishta Rajesh and Ylva B. Almquist published a Swedish register-based cohort study together with Hélio A. Manhica. The study examines the labour market attachment of parents whose children have been placed in out-of-home care and whether this differs according to family reunification.

About the study

Parents whose children enter out-of-home care (OHC) often experience substantial social and economic disadvantage, including poverty, unemployment and unstable labour market positions. While family reunification is a central goal of the Swedish child welfare system, little is known about how reunification relates to parents’ labour market circumstances following a child’s placement.

Using data from the population-based Swedish Families of the 1990s (SWIFT90) cohort, the researchers examined 11,907 parents whose children had experienced OHC. Labour market attachment was assessed during the three years before and three years after the child’s first placement and classified into four categories: core workforce, insecure workforce, student, or not in education, employment or training (NEET). The study also examined whether parents who were reunified with their children differed from those who were not reunified.

The findings showed substantial stability in parents’ labour market positions before and after placement. Around 62% of parents were classified as NEET before their child’s placement, and 76.8% of those remained NEET afterwards. In contrast, 79.5% of parents who were part of the core workforce before placement remained in that position. Overall, 81.9% of parents were reunified with their child within three years of placement.

Parents who were not reunified with their children had the most vulnerable labour market attachment. After adjustment for parental, child and placement characteristics, non-reunified parents had a higher relative risk of being NEET rather than part of the core workforce compared with reunified parents. The findings highlight the persistent socioeconomic disadvantage experienced by many parents involved with child welfare services and suggest that employment-related support may be an important component of services for families affected by OHC.

Highlights

“Parents whose children entered out-of-home care experienced substantial and persistent labour market disadvantage, with nearly two-thirds classified as NEET before placement and most remaining in this position afterwards.”

Publication details

Straatmann, V. S., Rajesh, T., Almquist, Y. B., & Manhica, H. A. (2026). Family reunification and labour market attachment of parents with children in out-of-home care in Sweden: Findings from the SWIFT90 cohort study. Child & Family Social Work, 1–10.

Read more: https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.70262

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