With kids
As a newcomer, it can be tricky to figure out childcare options, schools, educational opportunities, and all the rules that come with them. That's why we've put together a range of useful information for you as a parent.
Info
Welcome visit by a health nurse
A warm welcome from the health nurses in Lolland Municipality is on offer to newcomers with children under four years old. This is a great chance to find out more about the area and discuss any needs you or your child may have.
The health nurse will give you a call to arrange a home visit.
Open consultation with an occupational and physical therapist
Do you think your child could benefit from a check-up with a paediatric occupational therapist or paediatric physical therapist? This could be a good idea if you notice that your child often falls, has inward-turned feet, or gets overstimulated.
Then drop by the municpality's open consultation at the health centers:
- 1st Tuesday of the month from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM in the Children's Room, Nakskov Health Center, Hoskiærsvej 17, 4990 Nakskov.
- 3rd Tuesday of the month from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM in the Children's Room, Maribo Health Care, Søndre Boulevard 84, 4930 Maribo.
If you have any questions before you come, you are welcome to contact:
- Pediatric Occupational Therapist Lene Rewers, phone +45 20 41 40 05
- Pediatric Physical Therapist Hanne Bärtschi, phone +45 40 24 77 83
- Pediatric Physical Therapist Kasia Wozniak, phone +45 40 32 78 50
In Denmark, parents are entitled to 52 weeks of maternity/paternity leave. It's pretty common for mums and/or dads to stay home with their newborn until the child is around 1 year old.
Read more about maternity/paternity leave on LifeinDenmark
But what do Danes do while staying home with their child?
It can be tricky to get to grips with the Danish networking culture and build up a network of other stay-at-home mums and dads. Here are some ideas for activities you can do with your child while you are staying home and enjoying maternity or paternity leave.
"Familiens Hus Lolland"
"Familiens Hus" is a place for you and your family, whether you're expecting a child or have children up to the age of 6. You can come along freely and anonymously to get advice and guidance on anything to do with your family.
As well as counselling and guidance, Familiens Hus also offers a range of other services.
We also have a Maternity Café where both mums and dads are very welcome, so you can meet others on maternity leave. There's a great space for chatting about parenting, enjoying a coffee, and playing with your baby in our large playroom. You can drop by whenever it suits you during opening hours. We often have a theme or presentation that you can get involved with. It's every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
If you're a dad, you can bring your child and play with other dads. It's a completely non-binding offer open to all dads with kids aged 0-5. You can come in during opening hours, whenever suits you. If your child is asleep, you can just come and have a coffee with the other dads. There might be different themes, such as music. It's every Wednesday from 3pm to 4.30pm.
There are also a number of free events that require registration.
Please follow Familiens Hus Lolland at Facebook, where information is continuously posted (in Danish).
New offers will be added on a regular basis.
The house is open for guidance and counselling every Monday from 10 AM to 3 PM. No appointment is needed, but if another day suits you better, just give us a shout and we'll find a more convenient time.
You can always call if you're curious or have questions at phone +45 20 31 40 43
Adress: Anemonevej 4, 4990 Nakskov.
"Legestuen Lolland"
"Legestuen Lolland" is a great option for stay-at-home parents with young children aged 0-5. One day a week, Legestuen (which translates as 'playroom') is open. It's basically a kindergarten with toys, activities and other kids to play with.
Legestuen Lolland is run by volunteers, so you need to sign up to join. Just a heads-up, their website is only in Danish, so you might need Google Translate. We've had lots of positive feedback from international families about Legestuen Lolland.
Read more about Legestuen Lolland at their website (in Danish).
The library
The libraries in Maribo and Nakskov have lots going on, including theatre and shows for little ones. The shows are put on by professionals, so it's worth keeping an eye on the 'Det sker på Lolland' calendar and the libraries' website to find out what's on during the day. There are also plenty of daytime activities and events for kids at the libraries.
There are toys in both libraries for you and your kids to play with.
Go to the calendar 'Det sker på Lolland' (in Danish).
Go to the libraries website (in Danish).
Baby swimming
As we live in a country surrounded by water, we've always made it a priority to teach our little ones to be comfortable around water and to stay safe. From the moment your little one is ready, you can take them along to the swimming halls on Lolland for some baby swimming. You'll find all the info you need about scheduled baby swimming on the swimming halls' websites.
As a parent, you and your baby join the warm water together, with an instructor on hand to show you and your child the best ways to enjoy the water and feel safe. When your child gets older, they can join other classes.
Children can be enrolled in public daycare options from as early as 6 months old, although most typically start around 9-12 months. Up until the age of three, children can attend public or private nurseries or family daycare, where trained teachers look after them.
From the age of 3 to 5, children attend kindergartens. Most of these are public, but there are also private options available.
All Danish kindergartens have professionally trained staff. The approach in Danish kindergartens is to stimulate children's social, linguistic, and democratic skills, primarily through play and planned activities.
Get an overview of daycare facilities on Lolland at lolland.dk (Only in Danish)
How to enroll
If you need to register your child for daycare, just log in to 'Digital Pladsanvisning' through Borger.dk and complete the registration online.
See waiting lists, enrol and withdraw online (borger.dk)
The Danish State subsidises the cost of childcare for families, so they only have to pay a maximum of 30% of the cost of nurseries and daycare centres.
You can find more information about childcare regulations, payment, and enrollment on LifeinDenmark.
Playgroups for stay-at-home-parents
If you're a parent who chooses to stay home with your kids instead of enrolling them in childcare, you might want to look into local playgroups. Many stay-at-home parents organize playdates in their private homes or in public libraries or playgrounds.
Almost all Danes are on Facebook, and many of them have their own private networks there.
In Denmark, kids usually start school in August when they turn six. They then have ten years of compulsory education.
Most kids go to public schools (Folkeskole), which are free. You can also choose a private school. Both types of schools have after-school programmes where kids can do their homework and play.
On Lolland, there are four independent public schools in urban areas, one international school, two village arrangements, one special school, and three private schools.
On the school map, you can see the locations of the schools on Lolland.
How to enroll
If you need to enroll your child in school, just get in touch with the school directly. You can find their contact details on their websites, which you can find below the map.
Once a pupil has finished the 9th or 10th grade of primary and lower secondary school, there are lots of ways to continue a youth education programme in Lolland Municipality. There are vocational and upper secondary education programmes, an Adult Education Centre (VUC) and preparatory basic education programmes.
We believe that education is key to a good quality of life, so we're keen to get as many young people as possible into some form of youth education.
The youth education programmes in the municipality offer some great opportunities, with professional challenges, inclusive teaching, great study environments and, not least, strong communities.
- Find more information about Nakskov Gymnasium & HF at their webpage (Only in Danish)
- Find more information about Maribo Gymnasium at their webpage (Only in Danish)
- Read more about CELF - Center for Vocational Education Lolland-Falster (Only in Danish)
- Read more about VUC Storstrøm (Only in Danish)
- Read more about FGU Lolland-Falster (Only in Danish)
Global Studies at Maribo Gymnasium
For the school year 2024/25 Maribo Gymnasium are launching a new International Line - Global Studies - as a part of the courses they offer.
Read more about the new international study line at their webpage
Did you know that there's an international school on Lolland?
Lolland International School is a free school for students aged between 6 and 15. The school runs a high-quality, bilingual programme where students will have half of their lessons taught in English and the other half is taught in Danish. This is done using a combination of both the Cambridge International Curriculum and the Danish curriculum.
The school gives priority to students of foreign nationals who work in Denmark. However, the school will also offer places to Danish families if spaces are available.
If you have any questions or would like to know more, please write to internationalschool@lolland.dk
