Evaluering af modulordning i Fredericia Kommune.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the module scheme in the municipality of Fredericia. Since 1989, parents in the municipality have been able to choose between four different modules in daycare centres.  Care for 4 hours a day, 5 hours a day, 7 hours a day or 9½ hours a day. The Municipality of Fredericia has the hypotheses that: 1) The current scheme does not provide parents with enough possibility to flex across days; and 2) there are great differences between how institutions administer the scheme with regard to flexibility towards parents and resources used in planning and administration.

The evaluation shows that parents are generally very satisfied with both the seven-hour and 9½-hour modules. The four and five-hour modules are almost unused. Of a total of 2166 children, only 27 have enrolled on the four and five-hour modules. The remaining children are distributed as just over half on the 9½-hour module and just less than half on the seven-hour module. The evaluation also shows that parents are very satisfied with the care children receive from the institutions and that personnel assess that more than 85% of the children have good or very good relationships with other children. Moreover the evaluation also shows that parent-institution collaboration works well, but that keeping to the number of care hours is perceived as a problem, and parents, leaders and staff are very preoccupied with this aspect. Furthermore it appears that the various institutions administer the module scheme differently and this is considered unreasonable by parents. Parents, leaders, staff and the authorities (Børneservice) want clear, fair and transparent guidelines.

The data basis is a questionnaire distributed at 12 institutions in the Municipality of Fredericia, focus group interviews with seven parents, 11 leaders and 12 child carers, as well as interviews with employees from the child authorities (Børneservice) and other relevant individuals from the municipal administration. 

Gundelach, S; Sørensen, A.S. (2006). Evaluering af modulordning i Fredericia Kommune. Fredericia: UdviklingsForum Fredericia Kommune.