In Aarhus, dozens of children struggling with anxiety and school refusal will soon lose their mental health support from the municipality’s well-regarded “well-being teams.” Parents warn this could leave many families without help.
Support Ends After Nine Months
After the Christmas holiday, 11-year-old Alba stopped going to school. She suffered panic attacks, stomach pains, and nausea, unable to cross the schoolyard gate. Psychologists connected her to Aarhus Municipality’s well-being team, a cross-disciplinary group designed to help children in distress.
For months, the team provided guidance and emotional support. Alba even bonded with a staff member who brought a specially trained therapy dog to sessions, which helped her regain some calm. But now the help is ending. Alba’s family, like about 65 others in Aarhus, recently learned their cases will close because the municipality has decided that all programs lasting more than nine months must stop.
Parents have organized to protest the decision, sending a letter to the city’s mayor urging the municipality to reconsider. They fear that without a follow-up plan, children still battling anxiety and school avoidance will be left behind.
The Municipality’s Decision
In late November, staff working in the Aarhus well-being teams were informed that long-term cases would be closed. The new rule sets a strict nine-month limit for each child’s support period. According to municipal officials, the short time frame ensures resources are used efficiently so that children currently on the waiting list—42 at present—can receive help sooner.
The decision came just a week after local elections where child well-being was a major campaign issue. At the same time, Danish broadcaster DR aired a documentary titled *Skolens tabte børn* (“The School’s Lost Children”), examining how school refusal affects families across Denmark.
Municipal emails to parents stated that many of the longer programs “did not lead to the expected improvement in well-being or school attendance.” Officials wrote that each child will receive a transition plan to connect them to other relevant services once their period in the well-being team ends. However, parents claim no concrete alternatives have been offered yet.
Families Feel Left Adrift
For Alba and her mother, Nicoline Salling, the news came as a shock. Nicoline says the team gave her vital support and a sense that professionals finally understood the family’s struggles. Losing this care feels like falling through the cracks of the system.
When families like hers are moved out of the team, there is rarely another place ready to take over. The waiting times for new programs can stretch for months. During that gap, parents often have to manage their children’s mental health alone while still trying to facilitate schooling.
It is not the first time Danish families have reported such disruptions in care. The broader mental health system has long struggled with underfunding and inconsistent follow-up, despite the country’s ongoing ten-year plan to transform Danish mental health care efforts.
Children Facing Setbacks
Alba had finally begun to trust her support network. Now, she must start over with new professionals. In her case, that means retelling painful experiences and rebuilding relationships from scratch. For a child already exhausted by anxiety, the process can feel impossible.
Meanwhile, the city insists that closing older cases will allow more families in need to access early-stage help. In practice, though, shorter interventions rarely offer enough time to make lasting progress, according to many psychologists and parents. They believe this approach only shifts the problem elsewhere rather than solving it.
For Alba, school still feels like an unreachable place. Despite efforts to reintroduce her to classes, she only manages brief visits once or twice a week. Without continuous guidance, her mother fears that minimal progress could quickly disappear.
Uncertain Future
At the moment, families affected by the decision are waiting to hear what new options the municipality will provide. Some parents are appealing, asking for extended programs or at least help transitioning to specialized therapy. For now, there are no clear answers.
Once again, the challenges of Denmark’s child mental health system are on display. Striking a balance between limited resources and long-term care remains one of the country’s most pressing social issues—especially for children who cannot attend school due to anxiety or emotional distress.
Sources and References
The Danish Dream: Ten-Year Plan Aims to Transform Danish Mental Health Care
The Danish Dream: Mental Health in Denmark for Foreigners
DR: Ni måneders hjælp, og så er det slut: 65 børn med skolevægring mister støtten
