Grandparents will get paid to look after children in Swedish ‘world first’ 50 years after country brought in paid parental leave for fathers

Grandparents in Sweden will be able to take paid leave to look after children in a groundbreaking law change.

Swedish parents can now transfer their maternity or paternity leave to friends and family members who will be able to take time off work and look after children while still receiving 80 per cent of their salary.

Minister for the elderly Anna Tenje told The Telegraph: ‘These changes empower parents to shape their own lives, while also fostering stronger bonds between children and both parents or other close relatives.’

Sweden already had a generous parental leave system, offering 480 days.

It was the first country in the world to allow paternal leave in 1974 and only 17 per cent of fathers with children born in 2017 chose not to reap this benefit.

Swedish lawmakers (pictured at the Swedish Parliament in March 2023) decided that as of July 1, parents are able to transfer up to 45 days of their paid parental leave to a friend or family member, while single fathers and mothers can transfer up to 90 days

While some politicians have already taken advantage of the changes, such as the Moderate Party’s Andreá Hedin who transferred her paid parental leave to her aunt, others have raised concerns.

Lena Hallengren, a member of the opposition Social Democratic Party, slammed it as a nanny state policy.

As of July 1, parents are now able to transfer up to 45 days of their paid parental leave to a friend or family member, while single fathers and mothers can transfer up to 90 days.

The law has also been updated to increase the number of ‘double days’ – when both parents can take leave together – from 30 to 60.

‘Double days’ can be used until a child reaches 15 months, an increase from 12 months.