Dispute on ’money follows the child’ principle

The new government wants to implement a ‘money follows the child’ principle in which parents are offered money to look after their children at home rather than sending them to a day care.

The new coalition agreement states that “local councils will be authorized to pay part of the day care subsidy to parents who wish to look after their children at home. This will be implemented based on the ‘money follows the child’ principle”.

“Parents should be given the option of having their children at home as much as possible,” says new culture minister Jenis á Rana.

Risk of social isolation

But this would be a disaster for children and the day care system, says Jógvan Philbrow, chairman of the Pedagogues’ Union.

“It not only undermines the day-care system; keeping children at home would also significantly increase the risk of the child becoming isolated from the rest of the community,” he says.

This is not necessarily true, says the minister, because parents opting to keep their children at home may well decide to create their own communities with other parents who chose the same option.

The exact amount offered to parents opting to look after their children at home has not yet been specified.

Translated by prosa.fo