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1. Forthcoming policy developments

2. Ongoing debates

Forthcoming policy developments

In December 2022, the Danish government presented its platform “Ansvar for Danmark”, which sets out a children and youth policy oriented around well-being, empowerment and what is termed livsmod (confidence, resilience and social spirit).

The government pledges to initiate a national commission on children’s and young people’s well-being, tasked with submitting recommendations on how to prevent poor mental health and social exclusion among youth. Furthermore, the platform highlights the importance of building strong leisure-time infrastructure, youth clubs and local community spaces for children and young people.

While concrete bills and budgets specific to youth work are still under development, the annual funding from 2023-2025 for municipal after-school pedagogy in residential areas with many marginalised children and youth will be DKK 123.4 million. 

Ongoing debates

Youth work is not widely debated in the public debate, but occasionally it is discussed whether youth work (fritidspædagogik) is the answer to the increase in young people’s failure to thrive.

The reform of primary and lower secondary schools in 2013 introduced longer school hours, and as a consequence, leisure time has decreased. Therefore, some politicians, youth workers and pedagogues argue that municipal out-of-school offers for children and young people were deprioritised. However, in the Spring of 2022, some parliamentarians summoned the minister for children and education with the purpose to establish a partnership on youth work loosely translated as Cooperation about Leisure time (Sammen om Fritiden) as a counterpart to the partnership Cooperation about School (Sammen om skolen). The cooperation aims to bring together pedagogues, school leaders, researchers, municipalities and politicians to strengthen leisure time activities and youth work, for instance, by increasing staff and developing a 10-year plan.