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1. Programmes specific for vulnerable young people

2. Funding

3. Quality assurance

Programmes for vulnerable young people

In Denmark, social inclusion of vulnerable young people is promoted through a wide range of national programmes, legislative frameworks, and targeted funding schemes coordinated by several ministries. These programmes are designed to address multiple forms of vulnerability,including social, psychological, economic, and integration-related challenges,and to prevent marginalisation through education, health, and employment support. 

Legislative frameworks

The legal framework for supporting vulnerable young adults is set out primarily in the Act on Social Services (Serviceloven, LBK nr 1129 af 22/09/2025) and the Act on Active Social Policy (Lov om aktiv socialpolitik, LBK nr 1004 af 30/06/2025).

Complementing these frameworks, the Child’s Act (Barnets lov, LBK nr 282 af 17/03/2025) introduces a rights-based approach to child and youth welfare. The law strengthens children’s procedural rights, giving those aged 10 and above “party status” in administrative proceedings, and obliges municipalities to provide coordinated support under section 18 of the Act. 

These laws oblige municipalities, regions, and the state to offer preventive and supportive services aimed at avoiding social exclusion. They ensure that all young people in vulnerable positions can access social, educational, and employment-related assistance depending on individual need. Read more about services in section 4.6.

Integration program

The ministry of Immigration and Integration is responsible for the implementation of the integration program, which is also meant to support the social inclusion of young refugees and newly arrived foreigners.

The Integration Act (LBK nr 1146 af 22/06/2020) sets out the legal framework for integration in Denmark and regulates in main features how newly arrived refugees and immigrants are integrated in Denmark, including their rights and duties.

In Denmark the municipalities are responsible for the integration effort and must offer all newly arrived immigrants who are above the age of 18 an integration program with the purpose of getting immigrants into the labour market, including up to five years of free Danish language training.  

In 2025, the Danish Government implemented a new work obligation scheme which requires certain cash benefits recipients, who have entered Denmark from abroad and do not fulfil certain criteria of length of stay in Denmark and time in employment to contribute actively to the Danish society up to 37 hours per week. Active participation entails taking part in various employment-oriented activities, such as job training, utility jobs and Danish language training.

SSA-reserven (the Social, Health and Employment Reserve)

A central mechanism for funding such initiatives is the reserve for measures within the social, health and employment sectors (SSA-reserve). This state reserve is negotiated annually by the Danish Parliament and allocates substantial resources to initiatives that promote inclusion and well-being among vulnerable population groups including young people. In 2025, DKK 550 million was distributed through the SSA-reserve to initiatives that, among other things, support people facing homelessness, violence, or mental health challenges, vulnerable citizens with a Greenlandic background, including young people in such situations Additional allocations of DKK 68 million were made for vulnerable children and young people – including efforts to prevent and strengthen the detection of violence against children. DKK 54 million has been allocated to help vulnerable children and adults with a Greenlandic background.

Projects financed through the SSA-reserve often target specific groups of young people. Recent examples include counselling for relatives of young people with disabilities, initiatives for siblings of children with disabilities, support for vulnerable young people with Greenlandic heritage in, and in risk of, homelessness, and projects preventing sexual exploitation and grey-zone prostitution among youth in digital contexts. Other programmes support network activities for children with a Greenlandic background in care and preventive measures for young people experiencing self-harm or eating disorders. The agreements covering the period 2022–2026 also funded support for young people in, and in risk of, homelessness.

Through the SSA reserve, Denmark funds a range of specialised civil-society organisations that support vulnerable and hard-to-reach groups. This includes specialised counselling services for survivors of honour-based violence and abuse, delivered by RED Rådgivning and RED+. The reserve also supports LGBT community organisations, such as Sabaah, LGBTI-rådgivningen and LGBT+ Asylum, which provide psychosocial counselling, peer networks and legal guidance to LGBTI youth, adults and asylum seekers. In addition, child-protection counselling is offered through Børns Vilkår, supporting children and adolescents at risk of abuse, neglect or digital exploitation. The SSA reserve further finances crisis-support initiatives for migrant women exposed to domestic or honour-based violence, including programmes delivered by Danner. Finally, peer-based support for individuals leaving highly controlling religious environments is provided by Foreningen Frafalden. Together, these organisations offer confidential counselling, crisis intervention, social and legal guidance, mentoring and community-based support to individuals who may be reluctant or unable to engage with mainstream public services. 

The National Centre for Countering Honour-based violence (MÆRK), situated within the Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) under the Ministry of Immigration and Integration, supports civil society organisations through results-based contracts, strengthening service quality, improving documentation practices, and ensuring alignment with national standards.

 Projects targeting social inclusion of children and young people

A separate initiative seeks to prevent young people from entering relationships that resemble prostitution, such as so-called “sugar dating,” which is facilitated through digital media. To strengthen preventive efforts and awareness-raising, DKK 14.5 million has been allocated to organisations working in this area.

Under the 2024-2027 agreement (the reserve for measures within the social, health and employment sectors (SSA-reserven 2024), a working group was established and tasked with making recommendations for initiatives on the prevention, detection, and treatment of violence against children. An allocation of DKK 10.0 million was set aside to implement initiatives based on the recommendations. On the basis of these recommendations, a political agreement was reached in 2025 to allocate funding for a pilot project on anonymous counselling for individuals at risk of perpetrating violence, and for a campaign and teaching materials for primary and lower secondary schools on violence against children and children’s rights.

In the 2025-2028 allocation, operational funding was granted to civil society organisations, including The Placed Children’s Conditions (De Anbragtes Vilkår) (DKK 3.5 million) to strengthen conditions for children and young people in out-of-home care and Danish Red Cross Youth (Ungdommens Røde Kors) (DKK 7.4 million), offering activities such as home work cafés and mentor projects for children and young people. Other initiatives in the 2025-2028 allocation included additional funding (DKK 1.7 million) to the Children’s Welfare organisation (Børns vilkår) and their support scheme, offering children and young people a third party to ensure the inclusion of their perspectives in their contact with the authorities. 

In addition, under the 2026-2029 agreement (the reserve for measures within the social, health and employment sectors (SSA-reserven 2026), funding was allocated to support a campaign on violence through the Children’s Helpline (Børnetelefonen) and to provide skills development for professionals. 

Under the 2026-2029 agreement (the reserve for measures within the social, health and employment sectors (SSA-reserven 2026)), support has also been provided to a number of initiatives, aimed at improving conditions for children and young people in vulnerable positions. One initiative is aimed at strengthening conditions for placed children and young people with a Greenlandic background in Denmark. As part of this initiative, funding has been provided for networking activities for placed children with a Greenlandic background in Denmark, allowing children to share experiences and maintain their connection with Greenlandic language and culture. As part of the 2026-2029 agreement, funds have also been allocated to the organization Ballast, offering counselling and treatment to children and young people growing up in families affected by alcohol- or substance abuse. The organization BROEN also received operational funding of DKK 7.6 million to continue its work in supporting access to an active leisure life for children and young people in vulnerable positions. Furthermore, DKK 6,6 million was allocated to SletDet at Save the Children Denmark (DeletIt - Red Barnet), supporting victims of digital violations, offering counselling to children as well as parents and professionals within the area. Other activities included financial support to NGOs such as Broen (DKK 7.6 million), which provides access to leisure activities for marginalized youths. 

In May 2025, a political agreement on a 10-year plan for psychiatry in Denmark was reached. In the area of children and youth, the agreement e.g. includes a commitment to strengthen services for children and young people in vulnerable positions. This involves examining how specialized social services for these children and young people can be enhanced. This may include establishing new services, expanding existing ones, and ensuring that staff in these services have the right competencies to support the children and the young people. The final design of the initiative will be decided based on a preliminary expert assessment that is to be carried out in 2026.

Finally, in 2025 funds have been distributed to a number of organisations (Save the Children (Red Barnet), The Children’s aid foundation (Børnehjælpsdagen), Danish Red Cross (Dansk Røde Kors) and The Foster Care Children's Union (De Anbragtes Vilkår) to support networking activities for children and young people who are placed within a foster family and for foster families themselves. The funds have been allocated as part of the political agreement “Children First” (Børnene Først) from 2021, in which permanent funds was set aside from 2025 and onwards for a reform of the foster family sector.

Additional inclusion programmes

Additional inclusion measures are supported through municipal and NGO partnerships. The Special Youth Education (STU) programme, regulated by “Lov om særligt tilrettelagt ungdomsuddannelse (STU-loven)” (LBK nr. 1077 af 11/08/2023), provides tailored education for young people with special needs. Furthermore, the National Knowledge Centre for Children and Young People in Vulnerability (NUBU) supports quality assurance by conducting research, evaluations, and dissemination of best practices across municipalities and service providers.

Funding

The programmes are publicly funded.

Each year, the political parties negotiate a financial framework of a four-year period (The political agreement on the implementation of the reserve for measures within the social, health, and employment sector (Aftale om udmøntning af reserven til foranstaltninger på social, - sundheds og arbejdsmarkedsområdet) that allocates money for projects and initiatives benefitting vulnerable groups, including vulnerable young people.

The Ministry of Social Affairs, Housing and Senior Citizens, The Ministry of the Interior and Health, the Ministry of Employment, and the Ministry of Immigration and Integration are responsible authorities for the financial framework.

Furthermore, the Act on Social Services (Serviceloven, LBK nr 1129 af 22/09/2025) and the Act on Active Social Policy (Lov om aktiv socialpolitik, LBK nr 1004 af 30/06/2025) and the Child’s Act (Barnets lov, LBK nr 282 af 17/03/2025) obliges municipalities, regions, and the state to offer support and services in order to prevent social problems. Read more about services in section 4.6.

Quality assurance

There is no national system of quality assurance of inclusive programmes. Instead, funds, ministries, associations, and municipalities have their own quality criteria depending on the type of funding they provide.

Associations may receive funding for the running of the association or funding for a specific project, for instance development.

Funding for running an association is based on number of members, and the association must report membership.

Funding of specific projects is based on applications with project descriptions, objectives, and targets. Associations must report the status of the project, typically midterm and at the end of the project. If the association does not fulfil the objectives established in the application, the funding can be withdrawn. Furthermore, a financial statement documenting all expenses related to the projects must be provided at the end of a project.

Based on evaluations from the former rate adjustment pool (satspuljen) programmes, The Danish Authority of Social Services and Housing has developed several programmes that municipalities can choose to implement and finance locally. The national board provides well-proven and documented measures, including training and guidance.

The social supervisory authorities are responsible for the approval and supervision of the operational social facilities across the country (municipal, regional and private) (See section 4.2).