Higher pre-school staffing ratios in Tórshavn

Tórshavn City Council has agreed to increase staffing ratios in daycare centres across the municipality.

The aim is to increase the ratio to a minimum of one staff member per three day nursery (vøggustova) children, one staff member per six kindergarten (barnagarður) children and one staff member per nine children in recreational centres (frítíðarskúli).

DKK 36 million has been earmarked for this purpose, covering an as yet unspecified term of years.

A longstanding problem

The low child-staff ratios in the capital region have been criticised for years by parents and daycare workers alike.

Maika Samuelsen, who recently resigned as centre manager at the Maritugøta daycare centre in Hoyvík, cited the low staffing ratios as a key reason for resigning, saying that a shortage of adult care workers increases stress levels in the children.

Translated by prosa.fo