Sweden's Child Support Guarantee and Women's Economic Independence

Abstract

Sweden's child support guarantee, consisting of a non-means-tested advance payment of child support and a supplement to bring all payments to a specified minimum, was extended to almost all children of solo parents in 1964. This was not uncontested. Advocates linked the guarantee to issues of equality among children, equality between and among men and women, and women's economic independence, attempting to avoid the problems inherent in means-testing as well as the difficulties that care allowances might pose to women's workforce participation.

Key Words:

• Single mothers
• child support assurance
• Sweden