A recent analysis reveals that children in Denmark are entering out-of-home care at an older average age, despite political efforts to ensure earlier intervention. The think tank Kraka’s study indicates the average age of children being placed outside their homes has risen by almost four months, reaching 11.5 years in 2023, up from approximately 11 years in previous years.

This finding is unexpected, especially considering the increased political attention on early intervention for vulnerable children. Senior economist Thomas Wilken from Kraka notes that the proportion of compulsory placements, typically involving younger children, has also increased significantly since 2011, making the delayed placement age even more surprising.

In 2021, a broad consensus in the Danish Parliament led to an agreement aimed at providing timely and appropriate assistance to vulnerable children.

The analysis also highlights significant disparities among municipalities regarding the age at which children are placed in out-of-home care. The difference between the ten municipalities with the earliest placements (average age 9.4 years) and the ten with the latest placements (average age 13.3 years) is nearly four years. Even after accounting for socio-economic factors and age demographics, a substantial difference of 2.7 years persists.

Wilken suggests that these substantial differences warrant a closer investigation into the practices of individual municipalities.

As of the end of 2023, approximately 13,900 children in Denmark were in out-of-home care, representing 1.2 percent of all children aged 0 to 17. This proportion has remained relatively stable in recent years.

Kraka acknowledges that variations between municipalities may stem from differing professional assessments. However, the think tank believes the magnitude of the variation suggests potential inconsistencies in municipal practices.