Strengthening the core institutions around children in Denmark
Every child deserves the best possible start in life. To help create the conditions for children to learn, develop and thrive through play, we support pedagogical staff and leaders across Denmark to strengthen quality in early childhood education. In 2025, we committed DKK 100 million to enable approx. 2,240 pedagogical staff and approx. 112 daycare leaders across 17 municipalities to enhance pedagogical practice and create even better everyday experiences for children.
Quality lacking behind in Denmark
In Denmark, almost 95% of children attend daycare until they are 5 or 6 years old. Danish daycare institutions, therefore, have enormous potential to shape children's early development and contribute to giving children equal life opportunities, regardless of their social background or barriers. Unfortunately, a national quality study in 2025 found that three in ten daycares for children ages 3-5 were of insufficient quality. Only one in ten is assessed as having a level of quality likely to make a positively compensatory difference for children in vulnerable positions.
According to a 2023 national quality assessment of institutions serving 0-2-year-olds, four in ten early childhood care settings and nearly half of all home-based childcare services were rated as providing insufficient quality. In many settings, the developmental environment does not yet consistently provide the support young children need to thrive and develop.
Strengthening pedagogical practice locally
In a significant share of daycares, however, the potential for supporting children’s wellbeing, development, and formation is not yet fully realised. Through the programme Every Child's Daycare, we are focused on strengthening pedagogical practice through professional and leadership development. Drawing on the expertise of pedagogical staff, adults working each day with small children will systematically develop approaches tailored to local needs that reflect their own context while supporting high-quality development through play. We know from decades of collaboration with partners closest to the core institutions serving young children in Denmark that high-quality early childhood education has lasting benefits for children's well-being and development.
Building quality together
Every Child’s Daycare is a partnership with, among others, Denmark's University Colleges, Komponent – the Danish municipalities' Centre for Competence Development – and Local Government Denmark, the umbrella organisation of the Danish municipalities. The collaborative effort builds on the expertise of pedagogical staff and leaders who work every day to create the best possible experiences for young children. Their role is vital, and while the programme does not address all the challenges they face, it complements broader support to strengthen areas such as staffing, recruitment and developmental environments that are essential to high-quality early childhood education. By investing in the people who, outside the family, make the greatest difference in children's everyday lives, and by supporting strong partnerships throughout the sector, we aim to help strengthen quality for all children across Denmark.
About Every Child's DaycareEvery Child’s Daycare is a national development programme that works with pedagogical staff, daycare leaders and local authorities across 17 municipalities to strengthen pedagogical practice and the quality of children’s everyday experiences.