Danish municipalities face surging backlog in children’s mental health cases

The number of municipal cases involving children in need of support has surged in recent years, leaving many waiting up to two years for help, according to a report by Danish broadcaster DR.

Longer delays in municipal services and psychiatric evaluations have pushed more parents to seek private consultants, often at significant personal cost. Ehlena Stormborn, a parent who struggled with the system, told DR she encountered bureaucratic resistance until hiring a private advisor to navigate the process.

The backlog has left children in distress without timely intervention, with some cases stalled in psychiatric assessments while families seek alternatives outside the public system.