Denmark daycare staffing will increase under a government proposal for the 2026 finance bill, with Prime Minister (Statsminister) Mette Frederiksen allocating DKK 1.1 billion (€147 million) to hire up to 1,360 additional staff across nurseries (vuggestuer) and kindergartens (børnehaver) by changing how minimum staffing ratios are calculated.
Minimum staffing ratios: what will actually change
Since 1 January 2024, Danish law requires at least one adult for every three children in nurseries and one for every six in kindergartens, calculated as a municipal yearly average. Today, 85% of managers’ (leaders’) working hours count in these ratios.
The government plans to remove leaders from the headcount, redirecting more pedagogical hours directly to children and letting leaders focus on management.
Budget impact and distribution across municipalities
Denmark has roughly 4,000 day-care institutions nationwide. The proposed funding would translate into roughly one extra adult in about every third institution, though the final distribution will depend on local needs and staffing baselines. The government indicates that parental fees will not rise as a result.
The push follows national findings that overall quality in early childhood settings is insufficient, with only a small share of kindergartens rated “good” in recent evaluations. Education scholars, including voices from Aarhus University (Aarhus Universitet), have long called for more qualified adults to raise interaction quality and support learning.
Training pipeline and pay: complementary measures
The government has coupled the staffing plan with a reform of the pedagogue (pædagog) degree and wage uplifts agreed with social partners, aiming to attract and retain qualified staff. The emphasis is on building a stronger pipeline while stabilising the workforce already in place.
Why this matters beyond Denmark
Improving adult–child ratios and freeing leaders to lead aligns with wider Nordic and European efforts to raise early childhood education and care (ECEC) quality. Better staffing can support inclusion, language development and long-term educational outcomes that matter across the EU.
What to watch next
The government will present the 2026 finance bill in the coming days. If the proposal is adopted, municipalities will need to adjust staffing plans and reporting practices so that leaders are no longer counted in ratios. National statistics for 2024 minimum staffing compliance are expected later this year, providing a baseline to track the reform’s impact.
The proposal signals a further step in Denmark’s effort to improve childcare quality through clearer rules and targeted funding. Its effectiveness will depend on the availability of trained staff, municipal implementation, and sustained investment at the national level.
