family affairs || page 34
Spouse
you in social arrangements, you should not
Childcare
expect that they will assist in finding a job. As As a spouse, you should be prepared to have
everywhere else, many jobs are found through
All children living in Denmark can attend daycare
a difficult time finding a job, especially if you
networking.
and kindergarten. Daycare (vuggestuer) are for chil-
are not able to speak Danish. It is possible to
dren up to age two, and kindergartens (børnehaver)
get a job at companies like Vestas, Maersk,
To establish a network in Denmark as a new-
are for three to six-year-olds. Most daycare and kin-
IBM, the UN or another employer that uses
comer you could try to get involved with existing
dergarten staff are trained as social educators (pĂŚ-
English as its company language. However, in
spouse communities or other societies (see also
dagoger) and have completed a minimum three-
most cases, finding a white collar job without
the chapter on 'Social Life and Integration'). This
year education programme.
the ability to speak Danish will be a challenge.
will not only help you in your search for a job but
And although your spouse's company might
will put you in touch with others who are in the
Children may also be looked after by a municipally
offer introduction programmes and include
same situation.
employed babysitter (dagplejer) who works at home. These childminders normally only look after two or three children, but many are in touch with other
Information about networks and groups for expats and their spouses is available at: www.expatindenmark.com
childminders in the area and arrange for the children to play together in larger groups on a regular basis. Daycares are usually larger facilities organised in groups of up to 10 children. Some daycares and kindergartens are housed in a single building, which enables children to remain in the same facility during their entire pre-school years. The aim of childcare is to contribute to child development and, perhaps more importantly, enable parents to work. The percentage of working women in Denmark is among the highest in the world. Parents must pay for public childcare, but their contribution normally only covers one third of the local council's costs of providing it.