”Inklusion i dagtilbud. Kortlægning af arbejdet med inklusion i daginstitutioner og dagpleje”.

The purpose of this survey is to gain an insight into how and the extent to which Danish municipalities and daycare facilities work on inclusion, specifically with a view to elucidating practices in this area.

The results show that municipal daycare facilities have a more or less systematic culture in their inclusion work. This is apparent in that there is a significantly positive correlation between completing systematic assessments of the risk of exclusion and the presence of the following activities: competence development, access to specialists with special expertise on inclusion, and involvement of parents in work on inclusion. I.e. the municipalities that have a high degree of systematic assessment also have a high degree of competence development, access to specialists and parent involvement.

The results also show that there is focus on inclusion and the topic has high priority for both the municipalities and the daycare centres. Almost all of the heads of the daycare centres replied that they had focus on inclusion, and there are indications that early childhood educators and childminders also incorporate inclusion in their work. E.g. 98% of the pedagogical consultants replied that inclusion has been a focus area for all daycare centres within the past three years. The municipalities also offer extensive support from specialists for personnel at daycare centres in connection with inclusion work. E.g. 86% of early childhood educators stated that they can draw on advice from a pedagogical-psychological advice unit (PPR) or health experts in connection with inclusion work, and 67% of this group have established cooperation with pedagogical-psychological advice units or health experts within the past three years.

Although municipalities and daycare centres are focusing on inclusion work, there are also indications that exclusion is a widespread phenomenon. Despite many positive assessments of inclusion work from respondents, half of them experience barriers to inclusion. Some of the barriers mentioned most frequently are: inadequate child-adult ratios, the physical framework and lack of knowledge about children with special needs. Many early childhood educators and childminders have not completed a competence development programme related to inclusion work.

Survey based on questionnaire data from five respondent groups working with children from 0-6 years-old: early childhood educators, childminders, heads of daycare centres, pedagogical consultants and daycare child carers.

A survey of all pedagogical consultants and daycare child carers was conducted, with a response rate of 54% and 52%, respectively. Furthermore, the study is based a survey of a nationally representative group of early childhood educators and childminders, with a response rate of 70% and 67%, respectively, and a survey of a nationally representative group of heads of daycare centres, with a response rate of 51%.

The statistical analysis is primarily based on pivot tables. The relationships found in the pivot tables are described in the report, if they have tested as statistically significant. The authors also use two-step cluster analysis to group the respondents according to a series of categorial variables. The model for childminders and early childhood educators contains 17 variables, grouped in three almost equally large groups. The model for heads of day-care centres contains seven variables, grouped in two equally large groups.

Danmarks Evalueringsinstitut (2014). ”Inklusion i dagtilbud. Kortlægning af arbejdet med inklusion i daginstitutioner og dagpleje”. København: Danmarks Evalueringsinstitut.