Children attending Julem忙rkehjem often face social and health challenges
A new study shows that these challenges may influence the children's future development and life outcomes.
Most children in Denmark — including those who have attended a Julemærkehjem — thrive, complete primary school, and pursue further education. However, compared to their peers, more children who attended a Julemærkehjem do not complete primary school or enroll in secondary education. They also experience social and health challenges within their families more frequently.
These findings come from a new study conducted by the National Institute of Public Health. The study is based on national register data and includes approximately 9,000 children who stayed at a Julemærkehjem from 2011 to 2023, compared with a control group of around 90,000 children who did not.
Long-Term Impact on Children and Families
“A large number of children attending a Julemærkehjem experience distress. Fortunately, we see that many children improve after a 10-week stay, with fewer reporting low life satisfaction and poor well-being at school. However, our study also shows that many of these children and their families face social and health challenges that may persist into the future,” says Senior Researcher Susan Ishøy Michelsen.
The study reveals that children attending a Julemærkehjem are more likely to come from families where the parents are unemployed, have a criminal record, or struggle with family-related issues such as receiving child protection notifications or municipal support.
Additionally, more children attending a Julemærkehjem have mental health disorders or developmental conditions. They are also more likely to have parents or siblings suffering from serious illnesses compared to children in the control group.
Well-Being and Education Linked to Life Circumstances
According to the report, about 20% of children at a Julemærkehjem face high vulnerability due to social and health-related challenges, putting them at greater risk of not completing primary school. By comparison, this is true for only 10% of children in the control group.
Among the most vulnerable children at a Julemærkehjem, 32% do not complete primary school — three times the rate of the control group.
“The challenging social and health conditions some children face at home seem closely linked to whether they complete school and pursue further education. It is therefore crucial that these children and their families receive ongoing help and support after their stay,” says Susan Ishøy Michelsen.
The report is funded by the Julemærkefonden.
Contact: Senior Researcher Susan Ishøy Michelsen, Phone: +45 6550 7850 | Email: simi@sdu.dk, National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark.