Danish government to invest 2.5 billion kroner in giving children a good start in life

Paving their way to the upcoming elections, the ministers have decided to give pre-school children ‘the attention they deserve’

Lucie Rychla

The Danish government is planning to spend a historic 2.5 billion kroner over the next four years on improving daycare services, revealed the prime minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the interior minister, Morten Østergaard, and the social affairs minister, Manu Sareen, as they presented the long-awaited children’s package today.

According to the ministers, the days the children spend at daycare institutions –nurseries (vuggestuer) and kindergartens (børnehaver) – should be filled with play, learning and development in the presence of skilled and dedicated adults.

Giving children the attention they deserve
“We know that the first six years of children’s lives determine what opportunities they get later in life,” stated Sareen.

“That’s why we are giving children aged 0 to 6 years the attention they deserve with a historic increase in funds for daycare institutions.”

The package, entitled ‘A good start in life for all children’, should provide a good starting point for all children aged 0 to 6 years and ensure a broad improvement in the quality of daycare services, including more and better qualified teaching staff, an improved working environment, and more coherence between daycare, leisure-time and school.

Breaking the cycle of disadvantage
The interior minister strongly believes that children’s backgrounds should not determine their future.

“If there is one thing I would change about Danish society, then it would be to break the cycle of disadvantage,” said Østergaard.

“With this initiative, we will take action with early intervention – even before children come to school.”

The budget is within the previously announced framework of the 0.6 percent growth for public spending.

The children’s package is expected to be the last stone on the road towards the upcoming election campaign.

TOP STORIES

  • Bestselling author of ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ Helen Russell on why she moved back to the UK after 12 years

    Bestselling author of ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ Helen Russell on why she moved back to the UK after 12 years

    After more than a decade living in Denmark, Russell shares why she made the move, how she’s coping, what she already misses, and the exciting new projects she’s working on. “It’s been a very tough decision. I love Denmark, and it will always hold a special place in my heart,” she says.

  • Denmark launches first AI supercomputer

    Denmark launches first AI supercomputer

    The new Gefion AI supercomputer is one of the world’s fastest and will accelerate research and provide new opportunities in Danish academia and industry.

  • Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Experts believe it takes seven years to move into a new culture, according to leading Danish psychologist Jette Simon and therapist Vibeke Hartkorn. For expat couples, the challenges of starting a new life together in Denmark can put pressure on relationships, but emotions-focused therapy can help.

  • More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    Politicians debate a lot these days about when you can retire. The reality shows that an increasing number of Danes like to work, even if they can withdraw from the labor market. Financial incentives help.

  • Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Canadian-born environmental activist Paul Watson has been in prison in Greenland for almost 100 days awaiting an extradition decision for a 14-year-old offence against a Japanese whaling vessel that he calls a “minor misdemeanor”. The 73-year-old had previously passed through Ireland, Switzerland, Monaco, France and the USA without trouble, before Greenlandic police arrested him in July.

  • Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    When the Danish government in January presented the first of its schemes to make it easier to recruit foreign labour from outside the EU, it was hailed by the healthcare and service sectors as a timely and important policy shift. But while healthcare changes have been forthcoming, the service sector is still struggling, say the directors of the industry association Dansk Industri and one of the country’s largest private employers ISS.

Connect club

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

Sign up here

Career

  • Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    On Friday 27 and Saturday 28 of September, The Copenhagen Post will be at International Citizen Days in Øksnehallen on Vesterbro, Copenhagen. Admission is free and thousands of internationals are expected to attend

  • Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Chisom Udeze, the founder of Diversify – a global organization that works at the intersection of inclusion, democracy, freedom, climate sustainability, justice, and belonging – shares how struggling to find a community in Norway motivated her to build a Nordic-wide professional network. We also hear from Dr. Poornima Luthra, Associate Professor at CBS, about how to address bias in the workplace.

  • Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality, home to Denmark’s largest infrastructure project – the Fehmarnbelt tunnel connection to Germany – has launched a new jobseeker support package for the accompanying partners of international employees in the area. The job-to-partner package offers free tailored sessions on finding a job and starting a personal business.

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Contact us

Jobs