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NURSERY

Daycare closed after kids put in ‘danger’

A nursery in Stockholm has been closed with immediate effect after inspectors discovered that children were being left alone in dirty diapers and that a child almost got run over in traffic.

Daycare closed after kids put in 'danger'
A file picture of children on an outing at a Swedish dagis. Photo: Hasse Holmberg/TT

The private daycare in Södermalm was visited in late February by inspectors from the education authority who noticed a number of serious flaws reported the Mitt i Stockholm newspaper. 

Among the litany of issues they discovered was that children didn't have their diapers changed, were left alone on high-chairs at tables and, on some occasions, weren't comforted when they were crying.

The nursery has had issues in the past regarding the competence of management. Parents had also expressed their concerns with a number pulling their children out altogether.

However, the decision to close the daycare was made after a child almost got run over by a car on a routine outing during the inspector's visit. On that occasion the inspector intervened to lift the child up and prevent an accident.

"We view this as a very serious issue which is why we have made the assessment that we've done," Stefan Larsson Lindmark, head of daycare co-ordination with the education administration in Stockholm county, told Sveriges Radio (SR) P4

He added to Mitt i Stockholm; "We always make an assessment of the seriousness of the flaws. It has long been foremost dealing with management failures which didn't present a direct threat to the child's safety and health.

Regarding the decision to close the nursery he said;"It was about an immediate danger to the children which is why we have made the decision to close the daycare."

The education administration stated in their decision that the daycare had an exceptionally high turnover of children. In 2014 alone, 13 children started at the nursery but eight kids were taken out by their parents.

At present the children from the daycare will be placed into a temporary school and in the autumn go to a new nursery.

Larsson Lindmark added to SR P4 that it was only the second time a daycare in the capital had been closed due to these circumstances.

"It's important that we have this option when there are flaws like this. The fact that it happens so seldom is a good testament to the daycare resources in Stockholm."  

The Local/pr

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SOCIALIST

Danish party wants extra playtime year for kids in daycare

Parents should be given the right to delay their children’s first day in school with an extra year in daycare, a Danish left-centre party has proposed.

Danish party wants extra playtime year for kids in daycare
File photo: Johan Gadegaard / Midtjyske Medier / Ritzau Scanpix

The Socialist People’s Party (SF) proposal has been given the support of four other parties – the Social Democrats, Social Liberals, Red Green Alliance and Alternative, TV2 reports.

READ ALSO: The 2019 Danish general election: What you should know about the parties on the left

If the parties have the parliamentary majority following the election, they will pass legislation enabling parents to choose whether to give their children an extra year at kindergarten before starting school, according to the report.

Such a decision will be made in consultation with childcare professionals and specialists. Under current rules, the decision lies solely with the relevant municipality.

“Some children benefit from a year extra playing at kindergarten before having to sit and concentrate at school. We want to give them that chance, so they don’t have to suffer the failure of having to repeat their first school year,” SF leader Pia Olsen Dyhr told Ritzau.

Figures from thinktank DEA show that children in areas with low staff-child ratios (normeringer in Danish) at childcare institutions also have relatively few children starting school late.

In contrast, municipalities with higher ratios also tend to have a larger number of children delaying their first day at school.

That is evidence that daycare institutions send children to school earlier to save resources, according to SF.

READ ALSO:

“We have created a society in which too much is done according to the needs of adults. Children should have the right to be children and not forced into (starting) school,” Olsen Dyhr said.

Alex Ahrendtsen, schools spokesperson with the Danish People’s Party, said he was sceptical about the SF assessment.

“SF must document that this is the case [daycare institutions send children to school earlier to save money, ed.]. I am confident that schools, childcare professionals and managers are responsible and, in consultation with parents, are able to assess whether a child should start (school) later,” Ahrendtsen told TV2.

Prior to the election being called, SF said it would demand minimum ratios at childcare institutions in order to lend its support to a Social Democrat government.

An annual tax of 0.5 percent on fortunes of more than five million kroner would pay for increased childcare staff, according to the party.

An optional extra year in childcare would not cost any more than the same child attending school, the party says.

But a long-term benefit to the economy could be gained by more children having productive school years and completing educational programmes, SF argues. The exact impact has not been calculated by the party and would not be felt for 10-15 years, it said.

READ ALSO: More on the 2019 general election 

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