Entering the market - on the licensing of residential homes for children in Sweden

In Sweden, as in many other countries, residential care for children and adolescents to a great extent takes place in a care market, and a precondition for entering the market is a licence issued by the state. The aim of this... [ view full abstract ]

In Sweden, as in many other countries, residential care for children and adolescents to a great extent takes place in a care market, and a precondition for entering the market is a licence issued by the state. The aim of this article is to describe and analyse the output of and regulatory conditions for licensing in the Swedish residential care market. The theoretical point of departure is that licensing is a formative mechanism for the development of the supply side of residential care. The empirical material consists of an analysis of formal licence decisions and interviews with inspectors managing licences. The results show that the majority of the applicants were granted a licence during the year of the study and that the licensing system consists of a few stringent licensing standards which may form the basis for rejection. Further, the stringent standards are influenced only to a limited extent by knowledge generated from research on residential care and the applicants are granted a great deal of leeway as regards how to organise their work with the children in practice. The findings are discussed based on whether the current licensing system takes advantage of its potential and what it may entail for the residential care market at a broader level.