Sjælland, Denmark
www.mormorordningen.dk

Sick children can be a reoccurring problem for many parents who work. At Sjælland (DK) there are several initiatives to solve this problem. “Rent a grandparent” is a concept developed to offer contact between working parents and elderly who likes to spend time with children. For a small fee, a “grandparent” will happily come and take good care of your sick child.

Most parents today work and have their children in day-care, but when the children get ill, they are prevented to leave the home. It is not always easy for parents to take the day off. If the child’s grandparents live near by, this might not be a problem, but in today’s society it is no longer unusual to live far away from the rest of the family. In these cases it is practical to be able to – rent a grandparent! These are elderly people who might be lonely and have lots of spare time to help a family in need and spend some time with a sick child.

The organization in Hvidovre was founded in 1999 by the former school-nurse Kirsten Balzer Jepsen. She is today the “head-grandmother” of 12 grandmothers and two grandfathers. 160 families use this service regularly and 75 families hire the same grandmother every time. All the grandparents have been educated in child-diseases and the well-being of children. Further they each have their own bag of toys to bring.

The grandparents receive about 30 kr. per hour, which is a moderate fee. This initiative has no economic purpose, only a wish to help others in he local environment. The organization is however supported by the municipality to cover education and administration.

The initiative has great potential to be a supplement to the existing daycare service, as it solves a new kind of problem in today’s society with hard working parents. It does not only benefit the family, but also gives the elderly an opportunity to participate in society in a meaningful way after retirement.

Heidi Møller
Kaja Misvær
Camilla Krogh