Families with young children to pay less for daycare as municipalities cut prices

Several municipalities in Denmark’s Region Sjælland are lowering the cost of daycare for parents, months ahead of a national requirement set to take effect next year, reports DR.

Jon Stivang and his wife in Næstved Municipality may soon see an extra 800 kroner (around €107) per month after the local council reduces daycare fees. Their youngest son, currently nine weeks old, is set to start daycare this autumn. “Now we’ll soon have to decide whether to sign up for a meal plan at the kindergarten, which comes at an extra cost for parents,” Stivang said.

The price cuts follow a national budget agreement allocating 1.7 billion kroner (€228 million) to municipalities this year, enabling them to reduce parental fees for daycare and hire more educational staff. While the legal requirement to lower costs begins in 2025, several councils in Region Sjælland are implementing changes early.

Lolland, Vordingborg, Guldborgsund, and Holbæk municipalities have already reduced fees, while others, including Næstved, are set to vote on proposals this month. In Lolland, parents will see the lower charges on their next invoice.

Cecilie Louise Stabell, deputy chair of Lolland’s Children, Schools, Leisure, and Culture Committee, said the change would make a tangible difference for families. “For parents in our municipality, this can really mean a lot—whether it’s for after-school activities, new shoes, or better food on the table,” she told DR.

However, the state funding does not cover the full cost of the reductions. Lolland Municipality must contribute an additional 2.7 million kroner (€362,000), though the funds have already been reallocated from its existing daycare budget.