The Lego Foundation is donating DKK 100 million to selected day care facilities in Denmark to enhance the skills of local staff and improve the well-being of children.

The initiative, named “All children’s day care – pedagogical quality at child level,” is a collaborative effort with the Danish Association of Municipalities (KL), the University Colleges, and Komponent, the municipalities’ joint development center. All municipalities in Denmark can apply to participate in the program.

According to a press release from the Lego Foundation, the investment aims to make a significant difference in children’s development and overall well-being. CEO Sidsel Marie Kristensen stated that all children in Denmark deserve the best possible environment to thrive, develop, and have a strong start in life, emphasizing the importance of supporting the pedagogical staff and managers who directly impact children’s lives daily.

The donation is motivated by a recent comprehensive quality study of the day care sector, which revealed that 28 percent of kindergartens had a pedagogical learning environment of “inadequate quality.” This study, conducted by VIVE and EVA for the Ministry of Children and Education, highlighted the need for improvement.

Christina Krzyrosiak, chairman of KL’s Children and Education Committee, acknowledged that the day care area requires a quality boost, and expressed confidence that this partnership can significantly benefit both managers and employees.

Sixteen municipalities will be chosen to participate in the program, with the selection process prioritizing national coverage and geographical diversity. Subsequently, the individual day care facilities will be selected in collaboration with each municipality. Pedagogical consultants from the local university college will be assigned to the participating day care facilities to work on enhancing pedagogical quality.

The program is scheduled to run for the next four years. While acknowledging that the DKK 100 million donation will not solve all the challenges in the day care sector, Christian Krzyrorsiak noted that ongoing efforts are being made at both the national and local levels to address these issues.