ESPAN Thematic Report on Access for children in need to the key services covered by the European Child Guarantee: Denmark (2023)

On 14 June 2021, the Council of the European Union adopted a Recommendation establishing
a “European Child Guarantee”, with a view to guaranteeing access to six key services for
“children in need”:
• effective and free access to four services: high-quality early childhood education and
care (ECEC); education and school-based activities; at least one healthy meal each
school day; and healthcare; and
• effective access to two services: healthy nutrition and adequate housing.
The purpose of the present report is to assess the extent to which low-income children in
Denmark do indeed have effective (or effective and free) access to these services.
ECEC is free and accessible for low-income children in Denmark. With income-testing, children
in households earning over DKK 601,200 (€80,825) will pay the full fee (up to 25% of costs),
while children in households below DKK 193,500 (€26,014) will not pay a fee. Children in
households with income between DKK 193,501 (€26,014) and DKK 601,199 (€80,825) will pay
a reduced fee.
All children in ECEC will have one healthy meal per day.
All children, regardless of their ability to pay, are able to participate in education and school-
based activities.
In schools there is no national or sub-national (local) provision of one healthy meal each day
(unlike in ECEC).
Healthcare is free for all, including children, regardless of income.
Healthy nutrition is not offered by any national or local agencies.
Housing allowances and a substantial social housing sector facilitate access by low-income
children to adequate housing.
There are no clothing requirements in primary and secondary education. However,
participation in sports and swimming classes may require certain clothes (e.g. swimwear) and
certain sports equipment (e.g. indoor sports shoes) that are not provided to any pupils and
students. Local authorities may cover the costs of these for children and young people,
especially in families on minimum income benefit.
In short, childcare, education and healthcare are de facto universal and free for low-income
children. However, children are not provided with healthy meals in schools; and although the
school curriculum may cover healthy nutrition and its advantages, there is no general service
directed at securing healthy nutrition. The majority of low-income children live in social housing
that is subsidised.