Children’s Manifesto

Equal economic conditions

“Children have the right to social security and to state support if parents or other guardians lack sufficient resources.” – Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 26.


Too many children live in poverty. According to Save the Children’s report from 2021, approximately 196,000 children live in poverty – 9.2% of Sweden’s children. Living in economic vulnerability negatively affects children’s living conditions and development, with an increased risk of, for example, physical and mental ill health, crime and exposure to crime, low study results and insecure housing. They also have more difficulty accessing their democratic and social rights later in life. We must counteract child poverty and its consequences.

Society’s safety net must not fail children and their development. This requires an active labor market policy that creates secure jobs for both young people and their guardians. It also requires an economic policy that, through taxes, increased child and housing allowances, and better social insurance, can help create more equal economic conditions for families with children.

Children should not grow up in a society characterized by economic or social differences. The gaps between rich and poor in Sweden are growing fastest of all countries in the OECD. The class society is a major obstacle to all children reaching their full potential. No child should grow up with the feeling that they do not have the opportunity to succeed.

  • Unga Örnar therefore wants that:
    • – The class society must be abolished
    • – Child and housing allowances are strengthened and that the child portion of income support corresponds to the increase in the housing or child allowance
    • – Until the goal of free public transport for all is introduced, free public transport for children and young people up to 19 years of age shall be introduced.
An equal education

“Every child has the right to education. Primary school shall be free.” – Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 28.


Unga Örnar sees that schools and preschools do not have the conditions to offer an equivalent education for all children in Sweden. The quality of Swedish school education differs from municipality to municipality and from school to school. That is unacceptable.

All students must receive sufficient support from their teachers, and therefore it is necessary to continuously strengthen teachers’ competence. Teachers should not be required to perform work tasks that are outside of teaching or that have more limited pedagogical value, such as break monitoring or absence reporting. We need smaller classes and more resources for the school. There is also a need for more adults in the school and preschool, both qualified teachers and student health staff. In the long term, Unga Örnar wants to see more teacher assistants who support the teaching.

The school’s compensatory mission means that it must work to even out students’ unequal conditions so that everyone can cope with school. The school is more than a knowledge factory, it must also foster children and young people into democratic citizens. All children should be given the opportunity to complete their schooling, regardless of circumstances. It is the school’s task to individually adapt the schooling with, for example, aids, resource teachers and time for recovery so that each student succeeds.

Many children are suffering due to discrimination and harassment. School staff must have sufficient competence to be able to prevent and manage these problems.

The Swedish market school results in grade inflation, different quality of schooling and money that disappears from the school system and ends up in the pockets of shareholders. Unga Örnar wants profit withdrawals from preschools, schools and after-school centers to be prohibited.


Free school choice creates inequality. Children with rich parents end up in certain schools, and children with poor parents end up in other schools. School choice disadvantages students with parents who do not have knowledge of the system or for other reasons cannot put the children in the “right” queue in time.


Children’s schooling should never be determined by the guardians’ finances, place of residence or employment. The school’s equality must be ensured and resources must be directed to schools and preschools in politically disadvantaged areas.

  • Unga Örnar therefore wants that:
    • – School staff’s competence about the grounds for discrimination must be increased
    • – All children should be given a fair opportunity to succeed in school, regardless of background, and that all education should be completely free of charge and equal in practice
    • – Profit withdrawals in schools, preschools and after-school centers must be prohibited
    • – Free school choice is abolished so that we can reach the goal of an equal school
    • – More resources should be directed to schools and preschools in politically disadvantaged areas
    • – The school should pay for students’ lunch even during excursions. Students should also be offered to take home food if there is any left over from lunch
An equal access to leisure

“Every child has the right to play, rest and leisure.” – Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 31


All children have the right to play and leisure. But in reality, there are major differences – for example, in access to sports activities and other association activities. Often it depends on factors such as the family’s class and that leisure activities are too expensive for many families with children. All municipalities should be able to offer a wide range of leisure activities that are free of charge and accessible. Many municipalities need a major investment in leisure activities with increased contributions to association life. Yet today we see the opposite happening: in the municipalities, contributions are decreasing, sometimes they are removed completely.

Children and young people’s need for meaningful leisure time does not end just because school does. There needs to be a wide range of leisure activities outside of school hours to satisfy children’s right to have fun. Each municipality needs to allocate financial resources for leisure activities. In cooperation with the local association life, each municipality should organize activities, with associated transport for those who have a long journey. The activities must be accessible to all and without requirements for prior knowledge.

An obstacle for many families with children is that activities and any associated equipment are associated with an excessive cost. The municipalities need to work to ensure that all children can participate in leisure activities, regardless of the family’s financial situation. Therefore, we want an activity library with equipment for loan to be available in each municipality. Children and young people should be able to borrow the equipment to try new sports or leisure activities. Unga Örnar wants many different types of leisure interests to be made possible.

Unga Örnar sees how comparatively low state contributions are distributed to children’s and youth organizations. In 2024, MUCF (the Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society) distributed SEK 262 million to children’s and youth organizations in Sweden. This can be compared with the approximately SEK 2 billion that the Swedish Sports Confederation receives from the state.

Regardless of economic background, all children have the right to have fun.

  • Unga Örnar therefore wants that:
    • – Society makes it possible for there to be a wide range of free activities and open leisure activities available to all children in Sweden all year round
    • – All municipalities must have their own activity library where children and young people can borrow equipment free of charge
    • – The financial support for children’s and youth organizations must be increased
    • – More youth centers and safe meeting places should be available for children and young people
An equal and safe housing

“Every child has the right to a reasonable standard of living, a home, clothes, food and clean water” – Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 27


Housing shortages, overcrowding and homelessness are three major social problems that affect children and young people to an excessive extent. To reach the goal of an equal childhood, it is important that children and young people’s housing is safe and functional. The housing shortage is acute in many parts of the country, which leads to increased overcrowding and insecure housing forms via second-hand and third-hand rentals. Living many together in a small area reduces the standard of living and can result in poorer mental and physical health. Housing is one of the most important security factors in a child’s life. A child should be able to live with the amenities required to have a well-functioning life. During their upbringing, all children should have stable housing with their own bed to sleep in and the opportunity to eat their fill every day. In cases where the state takes over responsibility for children’s housing, the most necessary amenities must be provided.

Children are dependent on adult care, but despite this, it happens that children are evicted from their homes. That should not be allowed to happen. It is up to each municipality to prevent families with children from being evicted. The combination of high rents and low wages is one of the reasons why families with children and young people become homeless. We believe that all housing should have reasonable rents so that everyone can afford a home. Housing policy must be adapted to needs and be able to create conditions for young people to move away from home and for families with children to be able to switch to a larger apartment without a shock increase in rent. We need more rental housing at reasonable rents, the housing allowance needs to be increased and the planning of housing and housing areas must be inclusive.

All children have the right to a safe and healthy home. We want to introduce state contributions to renovate rental apartments in politically disadvantaged areas, where many children today live in substandard housing. Through targeted investments in refurbishment, we create better living conditions and strengthen children’s right to an equal childhood. The state support should be particularly prioritized where children run the greatest risk of being negatively affected by a lack of housing standard.

Unga Örnar thinks it is important with a large variation of housing forms and that housing should be built according to need. Children and young people should not have to stand in a housing queue for several years to be able to study in another location. When it is time to move away from home, young people should also not be hindered due to the housing shortage.

  • Unga Örnar therefore wants that:
    • – No families with children should be evicted from their home
    • – A state support for housing renovations in politically disadvantaged areas should be introduced
    • – There should be a large variation of safe housing forms at a reasonable price
    • – Market rents should not be introduced
A humane and equal asylum policy

“A child has the right to be reunited with his or her family if the family has been separated. Applications from families who want to reunite across national borders should be treated in a positive, humane and rapid manner.” – Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 10


Around the world, children are fleeing. Many are doing badly, even among those who come to or are in Sweden. The conditions for a good life should not depend on geographical origin. A child seeking protection in Sweden should have access to education and healthcare in the same way that Swedish citizens have.

When children seek asylum in Sweden, the case should be prioritized and handled promptly, the child should receive ongoing information about the process in an understandable way. It is a great strain for children to be on the run. To reduce the risks a flight entails, children should be able to apply for asylum from a third country. All children seeking asylum in Sweden should be prioritized and long processing times avoided.

In the development of a long-term, sustainable, legally secure and responsible asylum policy within the EU and in Sweden, special consideration should be given to children’s vulnerable situation. The Convention on the Rights of the Child needs to be strengthened as law and the child’s best interests should always be taken into account. Today, there are far too many children who are deported against their best interests. Sweden should be a safe country for children to live out their lives.

All children have the right to be with their family. Being separated from one’s family can mean a major trauma for children. It is therefore important that the reunification process is handled promptly to reduce the risk of mental ill health in the affected child. Children should be able to apply for a residence permit due to connection to someone in Sweden.

  • Unga Örnar therefore wants that:
    • – Children should quickly be reunited with their family if it has been split
    • – Equal access to education and care should be ensured for children on the run
    • – Organizations that work with integration for children should receive state support
    • – Permanent residence permits should be the main rule in refugee policy
    • – All children regardless of asylum status should have the right to attend school, preschool or leisure activities
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A humane and equal Equal support measures against mental ill health and disease

“Every child has the right to be protected from physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse.” – Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 19


Children and young people are a vulnerable group in society. Too many children and young people are affected by mental ill health and it is time for decision-makers to take the problem seriously.

Mental ill health hits particularly hard against vulnerable children who sometimes lack a safety net. Student health needs to be strengthened and children’s opportunities for help through child and adolescent psychiatry (BUP) must be expanded. Privatizations, closures and sales of BUP clinics need to cease and instead the proportion of clinics should be expanded. The school and preschool need to offer a guarantee of psychological presence in the school through student health teams that can hold conversations with children who need it and refer them to the right care institution.

The school and preschool have an important role in the work against the runaway mental ill health. Student health and BUP need sufficient resources to be able to provide support to all children and young people who need it. Society must accept that long support measures are often required rather than quick solutions. There are many explanations for why children and young people are feeling bad today, but regardless of the reason, the support should be close at hand and given immediately when needed.

In parallel with the support measures, preventive work needs to be carried out with the goal that no child should ever have to suffer from mental ill health and disease. The teaching should be done in a way that promotes a strong self-esteem in each student.

  • Unga Örnar therefore wants that:
    • – Child and adolescent psychiatry (BUP) must be strengthened and that sales are stopped
    • – Student health teams should be available in all schools and preschools
    • – Cooperation to prevent mental ill health among children and young people should be expanded
    • – Mental health is introduced on the schedule in school
An equal influence

“Children have the right to express their opinion and be heard in all matters concerning the child. Consideration shall be given to the child’s views, based on the child’s age and maturity” – Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 12.


Children and young people’s opinions are often forgotten or overlooked when adults make decisions. For society to develop in the best way, it needs to take into account children and young people’s opinions.

We want Sweden to sign the third optional protocol on children’s right to complain so that children can pursue processes against the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child when their rights have been violated. The most important thing to change the situation for Sweden’s children and young people is to create a national action plan for an equal childhood.

Even outside of school, children and young people need to be listened to. Giving children and young people influence requires commitment from the adult world. Each municipality therefore needs to have a children’s ombudsman with the task of ensuring children’s influence in the municipality. A children’s ombudsman can also organize youth councils and school student councils with the task of educating and supporting. The children’s ombudsman can be children and young people’s link to decision-makers and also ensure that children and young people’s participation increases. We also believe that the voting age should be lowered to 16 years in municipal and regional elections to enable more young voices to be heard.

  • Unga Örnar therefore wants that:
    • – There should be children’s ombudsmen in each municipality
    • – Sweden should ratify the third optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child
    • – The voting age should be lowered to 16 years in municipal and regional elections
    • – The children’s voice should be represented in every decision that concerns children