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Foster home, contact family or contact person

Open your home or share your time. Here you can see the assignments, what they involve and how to register your interest.

Updated:

Please note that all forms, digital applications (e-services) and some linked websites are currently in Swedish. Contact Citizen Service if you need help in English.

Foster home

As a foster home, you welcome a child who cannot live with their parents. The placement can be short or long. The goal is always the child’s best interests and reunification when possible.

Foster homes are needed when a child is not safe enough at home or when parents cannot provide the care the child needs.

Common reasons

  • Violence in the home, threats or serious conflict
  • Deficient care, for example when basic needs are not met
  • Substance misuse or mental ill-health in an adult
  • Illness or a difficult life situation that makes everyday life unsafe
  • The child’s own needs for more support and structure
  • Children who have arrived in Sweden without parents
  • Acute events that require safe housing immediately

What the placement gives the child

  • A safe home, set routines and present adults
  • Support in school, health and free time
  • Help to understand and handle difficult feelings
  • The chance to keep important contacts when this is good for the child

The goal of a placement

  • The child’s best interests always come first
  • Reunification when it is safe and possible
  • Long-term placement if this gives the greatest safety

Network home

When the foster home already knows the child, for example as a relative or close friend, it is called a network home. This can provide extra safety.

Different situations

  • Emergency placement when protection is needed immediately
  • Planned longer placement after an assessment
  • Time-limited placement to build working routines

The time varies based on the child’s needs, safety and how the home situation develops.

Typical durations

  • Emergency placement: hours to days
  • Temporary placement: weeks to months
  • Longer placement: months to years
  • Long-term placement: sometimes the whole upbringing

What determines the time

  • The child’s health, safety and schooling
  • Parents’ ability to give good care
  • How support to the family works over time
  • The child’s own voice and wishes
  • The support network around the child

Follow-up and planning

  • Regular follow-ups with the child, the foster home and the guardians
  • The plan is updated when needed
  • Returning home happens step by step when it is safe
  • The placement can continue if this is best for the child

As a foster home, you create a safe everyday life and help the child develop. You work with social services and, when it is good for the child, with parents and the wider network.

Everyday life and care

  • Set clear routines for sleep, meals, school and leisure
  • Give attentive care, warmth and safe boundaries
  • Help the child feel a sense of belonging in the family

School and health

  • Ensure schooling and contact with the school; support with homework
  • Follow up health and dental care; book and attend visits
  • Notice wellbeing and tell social services when needed

Relationships and contact

  • Support safe contact with parents and important people
  • Prepare for contact sessions and follow up afterwards

Working with social services

  • Follow the care plan and join meetings and reviews
  • Give regular updates and report changes quickly

The child’s participation and privacy

  • Listen to the child and let them influence daily life according to age and maturity
  • Protect the child’s privacy and do not share details or photos publicly

When it is difficult

  • Ask your caseworker for support, guidance or respite when needed

Contact family and contact person

As a contact family, you welcome a child for a few days and nights each month. You provide support, safety, and a new network. The assignment continues for as long as there is a need. A contact person supports the child in everyday life. This can involve leisure activities, schoolwork, or helping the child break away from an unsuitable environment. The assignment can last from months to years.

A contact family gives a child extra safety and a stable everyday life a few days and nights per month. The assignment complements the parents’ responsibility.

Purpose

  • Give the child rest, routines and a positive environment
  • Relieve parents so everyday life works better

Time and scope

  • Usually a few days per month, planned in advance
  • The length is based on the child’s needs and is reviewed regularly

Examples of content

  • Everyday life: meals, homework, evening routines, bedtime
  • Leisure: play, outdoor life, culture and associations
  • Social support: strengthen friendships and self-confidence

Cooperation and boundaries

  • Follow the agreed plan with social services
  • Keep contact with parents when it is good for the child
  • Give short feedback after stays when needed

The child’s rights and safety

  • Listen to the child’s views
  • Create a safe and predictable environment
  • You have a duty of confidentiality

A contact person is a trusted adult who supports the child in daily life and helps build good habits.

Purpose

  • Strengthen the child’s network, self-esteem and structure
  • Support schoolwork and meaningful leisure

Time and setup

  • Meetings as planned, often weekly or every other week
  • The assignment can last from months to years

Example tasks

  • Study support: plan homework, create study routines, follow up
  • Leisure: try activities, accompany to training or clubs
  • Life skills: plan weeks, set goals, practise social skills

Cooperation and follow-up

  • Short updates to social services when needed
  • Work with parents and sometimes the school

Boundaries and privacy

  • Clear boundaries for contact and communication
  • You have a duty of confidentiality and must protect the child’s privacy

This assignment is for children at risk of substance misuse, crime or other harmful behaviours.

Purpose

  • Reduce risks and increase protection in daily life
  • Strengthen school attendance, health and positive relationships

Time and availability

  • Often more frequent efforts, sometimes several times per week
  • Meetings can be in the evenings and at weekends as planned

Example measures

  • Structure: weekly planning, daily rhythm, routines
  • Motivation: set goals, follow up, celebrate progress
  • Network: map risk environments and strengthen safe contacts
  • School and leisure: work with the school and find sustainable activities

Cooperation and follow-up

  • A clear plan together with social services
  • Regular reviews and notes on progress

Boundaries and safety

  • Always focus on the child’s safety and dignity
  • You have a duty of confidentiality and follow agreed safety routines

Investigation, training and remuneration

Investigation before an assignment

Before you receive an assignment, social services assess if you are suitable. The investigation can include interviews, references and record checks. For foster homes and contact families, home visits and talks with any children in the household are included.

Training and guidance

As an assignee, you receive training and ongoing guidance.

Remuneration

You receive a fee and reimbursement for expenses. The remuneration follows recommendations from the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions.

Contact and registration

How to register your interest

  • Submit an expression of interest through the municipality’s online service
  • Call Citizen Service on +46 921 620 00 and ask to speak with a foster home case officer
  • Send an email to familjehem@boden.se
  • Follow Instagram: @familjehemboden

Questions and advice

Do you have questions about the assignments? Contact Citizen Service on +46 921 620 00.

Do you want to access a specific document? Contact Citizen Service, and we will help you retrieve and read the full document.

Contact

Individual and Family Services reception

E-mail: familjehem@boden.se

Phone: +46 921 627 00