Parents can now use VAB for the meeting, not only the sick day.
Three new situations cover school, social-service and self-care needs. Nearly 2,500 people used them in the first half-year.
Since 1 January 2026, parents in Sweden can receive temporary parental benefit, VAB, for three situations beyond staying home with an ill child.
The benefit can cover a preschool or school meeting prompted by a child's illness or disability; participation in a social-services assessment or preliminary assessment concerning the child; and time spent teaching school staff about the child's self-care needs, such as diabetes or eczema.
Nearly 2,500 people used one of the new routes during the first half of the year. School and preschool meetings were most common, used by 1,580 people. Social-services assessments accounted for 870, while 120 used VAB to train staff in self-care. Most claims covered only part of a day, and use was highest for 11-year-olds.
The new situations form a very small share of all VAB payments. Their importance lies in recognising work parents were already doing: coordinating care, explaining a child's needs and attending decisions that cannot be moved outside working hours.
Eligibility depends on the specific reason for the meeting, not any ordinary parent-teacher contact. Parents should check the conditions with Försäkringskassan when applying.
Sweden's family policy has long insured time spent caring directly for a child. This change acknowledges that care also includes making institutions capable of caring safely.
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