As the clock ticks past 2 p.m., ten-year-old Marie Storgaard unlocks the door to her detached home in Grindsted. With her parents busy at work until around four, Marie often finds herself alone after school. After tending to her rabbit, the hours stretch ahead of her with not much to fill the time. More often than not, she resorts to the familiar glow of the television or the lure of her phone.
“Many might think it’s pretty exciting to be home and make your own choices, but it can also feel a bit lonely,” she admits.
What Marie longs for most is the chance to join a leisure club where she could play games or explore creative activities with friends. However, due to the municipality’s policies, her hopes remain unfulfilled—since she’s in fourth grade and lives in Billund Municipality, she finds herself without access to such facilities after the third grade.
Home of the Children’s Capital
Ironically, Billund Municipality markets itself as the ‘Children’s Capital.’
“We aspire to be the best place in the world for children and families, championing children’s well-being, play, and learning,” the municipality’s website proudly proclaims. Yet, Michelle Storgaard, Marie’s mother, sees a starkly different reality when she looks at the options available for her daughter.
“It’s essential that we nurture children’s communities and support them in making social connections instead of leaving them isolated at home,” she states.
While Marie does have playdates and spends time with friends, her mother believes there’s a significant difference between having a couple of friends over and engaging with a larger group in a leisure club setting.
“It’s part of Billund Municipality’s vision to foster strong communities for children, which makes it surprising that such offerings are lacking at this age,” Michelle reflects.
An Extra Year in SFO
Come 2026, an option will be introduced for Marie and others like her. The municipal board has committed to allocating DKK 250,000 annually to expand after-school services, allowing fourth graders to remain in the SFO for an additional year.
“We want to gauge the demand among parents and children for this service,” shares Bjarne Larsen (V), chair of the Children and Family Committee in the municipality.
But for ten-year-old Marie, this new arrangement doesn’t quite match her vision of what she desires.
“The SFO is fine, but we’re older now, and we want something different,” she explains.
Her mother underlines the importance of tailoring this new offering to the children’s interests.
“It’s vital to engage the children in discussions about what they find exciting. What dreams do they have, and how can we help them pursue those?” asks Michelle Storgaard.
