Childcare before school start

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Population and Education, Social Statistics
Jens Bjerre
+45 29 16 99 21

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Childcare before school start 2023

The statistics illustrates the number of children in childcare preschool, the number of employees with pedagogical assignments and the ratio between children and employees in childcare facilities. The purpose is to illustrate the trends in childcare. The statistics have been published since 1943, while the ratio between children and employees was first published in 2015. The ratio between children and employees does not show the direct time the staff spend with children - also known as "face-to-face" time. The inventory is an estimate of resource allocation to the childcare area.

Statistical presentation

The statistics are an annual calculation of the number of enrolled children and the number of employees with educational tasks in municipal and independent day care institutions as well as pool scheme institutions and municipal day care. Children and staff in private institutions are not included in the statistics. The statistics also calculate norms, which are a calculation of the total care resources at municipal level, seen in relation to the number of children, and are calculated for pool scheme institutions and municipal and independent daycare centers by dividing the number of children by staff. Both staff and children are converted to full-time units and it is only educational staff such as educational leaders, pedagogues, assistants, helpers, etc. are included. The norming figure is calculated as a gross norming, where the staff's total tasks such as childcare, parenting interviews and development plans are included in the calculation, and opening hours are not taken into account. Sickness or vacation is not deducted for children or for staff, but maternity correction is made for staff. Temporary workers are included in the rationing calculation. Central support staff, such as support pedagogues, resource pedagogues and the like. as well as educational staff who take care of tasks i.f.m. a compulsory learning offer or language stimulation is included in the norming calculation. Educational staff employed for municipal funds for social norms, e.g. extra educational staff the municipality has assigned as a result of the institution having special challenges, many vulnerable and exposed children or the like. also included. The ratio is calculated at municipal level from 2015 to 2023, and in 2022 the ratio was also calculated at parent board level.

The statistics is an annual inventory of the number of children enrolled in childcare facilities, the number of employees with pedagogical assignments, and the ratio between children and employees. The framework for the statistics follows the recommendations of the work of an inter-ministerial working group, where stakeholders were involved.

Statistical processing

Information on enrolled children and employees are obtained primarily from registration in municipalities through the municipalities' and regions' payroll office. Data is examined for errors and all municipalities validate their data in dialogue with Statistics Denmark.

Relevance

There are different and diverse users of the statistics. The Danish Ministries use the statistics to compare the resource allocation to childcare in different municipalities and to develop policies on child care. Interest organizations, such as the National Association of Pedagogues (BUPL), the National Associations of Municipalities (KL) and The Association of Parents (FOLA) use the statistics to assess the service level in the childcare area. Data has been collected on an agreement between Statistics Denmark and the Ministry of Children and Education.

Accuracy and reliability

The inventory for 2020 has information from all 98 municipalities. The accuracy is affected by errors in municipal registrations and whether keys for distributing staff in age groups 0-2 and 3-5 years in 0-5 year institutions are correct. Employees and children from private institutions are not included in the statistics, because of an unrealistic high or low ratio of children pr. employee in such institutions. Moreover uncertainty comes from single registration errors that do not give systematic errors in the calculation.

Timeliness and punctuality

The statistics are published approx. ten months after the end of the reference year. The statistics are published without delay in relation to the pre-announced release date in the release calendar.

Comparability

Statistic on childcare can be dated back to 1943. From 1975 it was the number of children enrolled in the age groups 0-2 years and 3-6 years. Until 2004, the date of measurement was a day in spring, but from 2004 it becomes the first of October. As of 2015, children and staff are measured as full-time units. This gives a lower number of children and staff compared to before 2015. Figures from before 1983 can be found in statistical yearbooks, while figures from 1983 onwards can be found at the Statbank. Statistics on childcare do not have common guidelines across countries.

Accessibility and clarity

Statistics on the number of children enrolled in institutions, pedagogical employees, the ratio between children and employees and the number of institutions are published in the Statbank under [Childcare](. See more on the topic for Childcare. Childcare.