Residential Care for Children and Youth in Denmark

This chapter documents the shift from residential to foster family care in Denmark over the period from 1982 to 2020, a shift that has resulting in higher acuity for those children and youth who find their way into residential care. Changes in national policy and the legal framework for child welfare are noted, culminating in a new Children’s Law that will take effect in 2023. Also noted is the fact that approximately one third of children in out-of-home care continue to be served in residential care. Strengths and continuing challenges in staff preparation are described, as is the centrality of social pedagogy in the Danish system. The chapter concludes with the matrix used throughout the book, which provides information about the current policy context, key trends and initiatives, characteristics of children and youth served, preparation of residential care personnel, promising programmatic innovations, and present strengths and challenges.