Objectives and accessibility

Home-based ECEC provision is regulated by the Act on Day Care Facilities (Dagtilbudsloven), which stipulates that home-based ECEC can either:

1. Be managed by the municipality as municipal day care in private homes;

2. Be managed by a private supplier based on an agreement with the municipality.

The municipality must approve private homes and other premises for home-based ECEC provision.

The municipality assigns ECEC places to municipal day care in private homes. With home-based provision provided by private suppliers, the municipality generally assigns ECEC places, but can allow the individual private supplier to decide on admission.

The municipality provides a subsidy to both municipal day care in private homes and home-based ECEC provided by private suppliers, but the size of the subsidy differs:

• In municipal day care in private homes, the subsidy covers at least 75 per cent of the gross operating expenses for the place. The parents pay the remaining expenses, which consist of a maximum of 25 per cent of the expenses;

• In home-based ECEC provided by private suppliers, the municipality provides a subsidy, but there is no regulation about the size of the subsidy, which instead depends on the agreement between the municipality and the individual private supplier. The parents’ contribution must not exceed 25 per cent of the gross operating expenses of the ECEC place.

For children under the age of three, home-based ECEC is significant as a primary form of ECEC, whereas it is of minor importance as a primary form of ECEC for children aged three and over. In 2021, the participation rates in home-based ECEC were the following:

Responsible authorities

Like centre-based ECEC provision, home-based ECEC provision is under the auspices of the Ministry of Children and Education, which sets the overall legal framework. The home-based ECEC provision is organised by the individual child minder and monitored by the municipality.

The same educational guidelines apply to home-based ECEC provision as centre-based provision. For more information on the educational guidelines, please visit chapter 3.3.

There is no national regulation that determines the specific costs of home-based ECEC. The costs of home-based ECEC are based on the gross operating expenses of a place of which the parents pay a maximum of 25 per cent.

Requirements for childminders and child ratios

No minimum qualification level nor specific training are required for childminders, but the municipality must approve of the childminders’ personal and academic qualifications.

The individual childminder is allowed to take care of up to five children. If two or more persons are carrying out the childminding together, the municipality may allow the child minders to take care of up to ten children.

References

Bibliography

European Commission / EACEA / Eurydice (2025): Key data on early childhood education and care in Europe – 2025. Eurydice report. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.

Ministry of Children and Education (Børne- og Undervisningsministeriet), 2025: Day care in private homes (Dagpleje). [Accessed 11 November 2025]

Legislation and official policy documents

Legal Information (Retsinformation), 2025: Act on Day Care Facilities (Bekendtgørelse af lov om dags-, fritids- og klubtilbud m.v. til børn og unge (dagtilbudsloven)), LBK no. 1038 of 11/08/2025. [Accessed 11 November 2025]