Hundreds of thousands of children in Sweden grow up in families with addiction or harmful substance use – without getting help

30.05.2025 - Children growing up in homes where parents have harmful substance use or addiction are among society’s most vulnerable – yet municipal support reaches almost none of them. This is shown by the new report "Easy to Reach," which the children's organization Junis launched this week.

“It is unacceptable that so few children get the support they are actually entitled to,” says Mona Örjes, Junis spokesperson for children’s issues. “We must stop believing that it is enough for municipalities to simply offer support. In practice, most children are left alone.”

According to an estimate from the Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs (CAN), 15 percent of Sweden’s children live in families where at least one parent drinks in a way that negatively affects the children. This corresponds to more than 260,000 children in the municipalities that responded to Junis’s survey – but only 3,559 children received any support during 2024. This meant that only one percent of those who need support actually received it.

“It is a disgrace. We are talking about children who live in constant worry, who risk leaving school without complete grades, who are forced to take on adult responsibilities, and who have a higher risk of being exposed to violence – but whom society continually fails,” says Mona Örjes.

What is needed? Courage, cooperation, and political responsibility

The report also highlights examples of operations where results have been better, partly through collaboration between social services, healthcare, schools, and the non-profit sector – and by asking a simple but crucial question: Do you have children?

“All adults who meet parents with addiction problems must know what to look for – and dare to act. But that requires them to be given the right conditions,” continues Mona Örjes. “Politicians at all levels must now ask themselves: What can I do to ensure that more children get timely help?”

Easy to reach?

According to the new Social Services Act coming into force on July 1, social services are to work more preventively and reach people before problems arise or grow. This year’s report theme is precisely this: how easy it really should be to reach the children – but how difficult it is in practice unless the whole of society takes responsibility.

The report can be downloaded at: junis.se/rapport

---

www.junis.se