Children return to daycare after four-month relocation due to staff shortages

A group of preschool children in western Denmark will return to their original daycare facility this week after being relocated for nearly four months due to severe staffing shortages, DR reports.

The 22 children from Svalehuset daycare in Janderup, Varde Municipality, were moved in early January to Skovmusen daycare in Oksbøl, seven kilometres away, after local authorities expressed “serious concern” over both child welfare and working conditions for employees.

Anne Marie Muff, head of early childhood services in Varde, confirmed the children’s return following renovations and successful recruitment. “We now have the staff in place and have renovated the facility, so we can guarantee the quality,” she said.

The intermediate-age group will return to Svalehuset from 4 May, while children due to start school in August will remain in Oksbøl until the summer break. Muff acknowledged the solution was “not ideal” but necessary under the circumstances.

Varde Municipality will maintain “heightened supervision” of Svalehuset initially to ensure standards remain stable. “We’ll monitor the situation for a while to stay on the right track,” Muff added.

The relocation reflects broader regional challenges. In October 2023, Esbjerg’s Tarphagevej daycare closed for eight months due to staff shortages, while Fredericia’s Valhalla daycare remains shut since April 2025 over “fluctuating educational quality.” Randers also temporarily closed a nursery in 2025 due to construction disruptions, with reopening planned for late 2026.

Muff cautioned that further short-notice relocations could occur, calling staffing a “general problem” across Denmark. “It’s simply the reality we’re facing right now,” she said.