Family

• Pregnancy and birth

  As an employee at SDU you will be covered by the general rules regarding maternity and paternity leave.

  Read more about maternity and paternity leave at "sdunet.dk"
• Parent groups and playgroups

  Becoming a family is a wonderful but also challenging experience especially when you are living away from your social network and family. These networks focuses on expats with small children.

  Odense

  • Odense International parent group on Facebook have many different events going on for children. They also have a dialogue on their facebook group where you can follow some of the issues concerning kids that expats have in Denmark.
  • The project garden is an opportunity for international children in Odense to meet up regularly in a school garden and learn more about nature and where our food comes from. It is possible for parents to meet up at the same time in the garden. To know more about the project, and how to sign up, contact Annika Jarl, jarl@sdu.dk.
  • In the Mamma Mia group at "fts-odense.dk" expecting and new moms from all over the world meet once a week with their babies.

  Besides this a lot of baby activities are going on in the city, for instance:

  • Babybio, the different cinemas in town show movies during the day where you are allowed to bring your babies.
  • Baby swimming, some public swimming pools offer different swimming activities for you and your baby.

  Look at your local municipality homepage to find out more.

  Sønderborg

  If you want to find information about leisure activities in Sønderborg, please have a look at "sonderborg.dk" for newcomers.

• Childcare

  In Denmark, most children are enrolled in a daycare programme before they start primary school. A wide range of daycare programmes are available. Some are public and heavily subsidized by public funds while others are private without financial support from municipalities.

  To enroll your child, contact your local municipality and ask for “Pladsanvisningen”. You should be aware that there might be waiting lists for daycare programmes, and you are therefore advised to contact the administration at Pladsanvisningen as soon as possible after getting registered in Denmark.

  Please find further information by clicking on your city below:

  • Odense
  • Esbjerg
  • Kolding (only in Danish)
  • Sønderborg.

  
  
• Primary and lower secondary education

  In Denmark, education is compulsory between the age of 6 and 15. In the year the child turns 6 years old, he or she can attend a public Danish primary school for free. Your child will be given Danish lessons in an integration class for as long as necessary, and will then be transferred to the nearest primary school. Private schools in Denmark charge a tuition fee.

  You can read more about primary and secondary education in Denmark at "lifeindenmark.dk"

  For an overview of the entire Danish education system (including adult education), please visit the website of The Ministry of Education.

  International primary schools

  A number of international schools offer instruction in other languages than Danish. The international schools charge an instruction fee. Interested applicants must contact the individual school to inquire about a spot for their child. Some schools are very popular and have waiting lists. You may also wish to ask if the school can guarantee an after-school facility for your child.

  We strongly recommend contacting the individual school as early as possible.

  Below you can find a list of international schools in the areas where SDU is situated:

  • Odense International School Odense International School is located together with Henriette Hørlücks School in the city center. It provides internationally recognized primary and secondary education for children between the ages of 5 and 16. If you want your child to be enrolled in an international school with an international certified programme in English you can contact Henriette Hørlücks Skole in Odense.
  • Esbjerg International School Esbjerg International School currently has over 170 registered students representing 35 nationalities from ages 3-17. Though English is the main language of instruction at EIS, students with no prior English ability are accepted at all age levels. Read more about the school on their website.
  • International School of Billund The closest international school for citizens living in Kolding is the one in Billund. You can read more about the International School here.
  • Sønderborg International School Sønderborg International School has more than 100 students representing 30 nationalities from the ages between 6-16. You can find more information about the school at their website.

  
  
• Upper secondary school

  The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a 2-year international upper secondary school diploma program that is offered in over 100 countries, including Denmark.

  Find more information about the program, entry requirements and admission under each educational institution on the list at "Uddannelsesguiden".

  International upper secondary schools

  • The closest upper secondary school to Odense is at Nyborg Gymnasium. Besides the Danish upper secondary education program they also offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) - an international diploma program that is recognized by universities worldwide. The IB program is taught in English. Tuition is free. For further information visit their website.
  • The International Baccalaureate in Esbjerg is offered by Esbjerg Gymnasium, Spangsbjerg Møllevej 310, 6705 Esbjerg Ø. Tel.: 7514 1300. For more information visit their website.
  • The International Baccalaureate in Kolding is offered by Kolding Gymnasium, Skovvangen 10, 6000 Kolding. Tel: 7633 9600. For more information visit their website.
  • The International Baccalaureate in Sønderborg is offered at Teknisk Gymnasium Sønderjylland, Hilmar Finsens Gade 14-18, 6400 Sønderborg. Tlf.: 7412 4242. For more information visit their website.
• After school activities

  You will basically be able to find a club for anything in Denmark, and the life definitely goes around the clubs. Most clubs are running on a volunteer basis. And it is a great way to meet Danes and to get a social life. Especially kids attend a variety of sports in the afternoon, and this is where they meet friends outside of school. So it is a very good idea to sign your kids up for some afternoon activities that they like and enjoy.

  Find more information for activities in Odense at "odense.dk"

  
  
• Child benefits

  If you are a foreigner and work in Denmark, you may apply for child benefits if you:

  • share custody of the child
  • can document that you are related to the child
  • are a citizen in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland, if your child does not live in Denmark.

  In addition, you must have worked or lived in Denmark for a certain period within the past 10 years.

  Read more about child benefits in Denmark at "lifeindenmark.dk"