Daginstitutionens betydning for udsatte børn og deres familier i ghetto-lignende boligområder.

This study is about the work and impact of daycare facilities when the daycare facility is physically located in an ethnically diverse housing area. The purpose of this study is to describe and analyse the perceptions of early childhood educators and parents of the impact of daycare facilities on vulnerable children growing up in an ethnically diverse housing area with a view to generating knowledge about the development opportunities of vulnerable children.

The authors conclude that the newly started family project in particular points at special social-pedagogical interventions for vulnerable children and their families, and that such interventions seem to increase confidence, inclusion and self-determination for the families involved. Thus results of the study clarify that the daycare centre has a special function and importance for vulnerable children and their families, particularly when linked to expanded care work for the vulnerable children and to extensive collaboration with the parents of the vulnerable children. The study also shows that much time is spent, and many resources are used, on care, recognition and inclusion; time and resources which were otherwise intended for more learning-oriented pedagogical activities focusing on children’s learning and social development. In addition, the ongoing dialogue with parents requires excessive amounts of time. The study shows that working as an early childhood educator in a marginalised housing area is physically as well as psychologically demanding, because the problems are of a size and nature that makes it difficult to solve them all. This makes the early childhood educators feel impotent, and they often feel that they are rarely able to apply their pedagogical skills as much as they would like.

The empirical material was collected over a 12-month period at a daycare centre for 1-6 year-olds located in what the authors call a ghetto-like housing area in the centre of Copenhagen. The material comprises qualitative interviews with early childhood educators and parents as well as a smaller questionnaire survey targeted at the overall staff group. Furthermore, interviews were carried out with early childhood educators from a newly started family project at the centre.

Jensen, N.R., Petersen, K.E. & Wind, A.K. (2012). Daginstitutionens betydning for udsatte børn og deres familier i ghetto-lignende boligområder. Institut for Uddannelse og Pædagogik (DPU), Aarhus Universitet.