Foster care association warns families against working with another Danish municipality

A national foster care association has issued a warning against cooperating with Haderslev Municipality after a dispute over the relocation of two foster children, DR reports.

The National Association of Foster Families (PLF) has marked Haderslev in red on its map of recommended municipalities, becoming the fourth Danish local authority the organisation advises its 1,200 member families to avoid. The others are Esbjerg, Morsø, and Nordfyn.

According to PLF deputy chair Mads Breckling, the case involved two children being moved to a new foster family after four years in their previous home. “There are several criticisable aspects, including that the children were relocated after such a long period,” Breckling stated.

Haderslev’s mayor, Mads Skau (Venstre), acknowledged the criticism, calling frequent changes in caseworkers “undoubtedly problematic” and confirming the municipality would review its practices. “We take this very seriously and will examine how to improve,” Skau said.

Henning Riistofte, head of children and youth services in Haderslev, emphasised the municipality’s reliance on foster families and pledged to address the concerns raised. “We generally have good collaboration, but there’s always room for improvement,” he told DR.

PLF cites systemic issues in the four flagged municipalities, claiming they “cause serious harm to both foster children and families.” Denmark had 6,100 registered foster families as of late 2024, per the Ministry of Social Affairs and Housing.