The expansion is expected to have positive effects for children, youth, their families, and crime prevention work in the municipality, according to officials. The Support Center offers support to young people aged 10 to 21, their relatives, and partners, with its mission broadening in recent years. Services include support conversations for youth who have been victims of, witnessed, or committed crimes; information and guidance on police and legal processes; support to guardians; mediation and conflict management; consultative support to schools; training and knowledge efforts; coordination of support during special events; and anonymous contact with full confidentiality.
Schools' need for mediation, conflict management, and consultative support has clearly increased, with more schools turning to the Support Center when situations risk escalating or when students and families are in difficult situations. Hanna Victoria Mörck, Chair of the Social Committee, stated that with these strengthened resources, more children and youth can get support in time, before problems have time to grow, which is crucial for safety and preventing serious issues later on. According to Uppsala kommun, Mikaela Eriksson, a mediator and counselor at the Support Center, described the importance of being able to follow both youth and parents more closely, noting that with more resources, they can work more long-term and provide more sustainable support throughout the process.
We see how important it is to be able to follow both youth and parents more closely. With more resources, we can work more long-term and provide more sustainable support throughout the process.
The specific amount of funding or resources allocated for the expansion has not been disclosed, and it is unclear how many additional staff or what new services will be added. The current number of cases handled annually and the projected increase remain unknown, as do any specific timelines or deadlines for implementing the expansion. Metrics to measure the positive effects on crime prevention and youth support have not been detailed.