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 2024

The purpose of the statistics Childcare Before Starting School is to shed light on the extent of and the resources used for childcare in day care services for children below school age. The statistics are used to compare the allocation of resources across municipalities. Data is available dating back to 1943, but in its current form, the statistics are comparable from 2015 onwards, when the method of calculation was changed to full-time units.

Statistical presentation

The statistics provide an annual overview of the number of enrolled children and the number of staff with pedagogical responsibilities in municipal and independent day care institutions as well as pool scheme institutions and municipal day care. Both children and staff are measured in full-time equivalents (FTEs).

The statistics also include staffing ratios, calculated as the ratio between children and staff. The ratios are gross staffing levels, meaning that all working hours are included, including time for planning and parent meetings. Adjustments are made for parental leave, substitutes are included, and both pedagogical leaders and centrally based support staff are part of the calculation.

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 2024 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

These statistics are published in a Danish press release, at the same time as the tables are updated in the StatBank. In the StatBank, statistics on the number of children enrolled in institutions, pedagogical employees, the ratio between children and employees and the number of institutions can be found under the subject Childcare. For further information, go to the subject page.