About SOS Children's Villages Denmark

The right to proper care, development and a dignified life for children and young people is at the core of the work of SOS Children’s Villages Denmark.
We work to protect children and young people and promote their rights. We recognize children and young people as equal, independent individuals who do not belong to their parents or to society; They are individuals in their own right. This includes a safe childhood with loving care.

Our work: Family empowerment, programs and prevention

Ideally, children and young people should grow up with their biological families, provided that the families have sufficient resources and the ability to provide proper care. For this reason, SOS Children’s Villages Denmark prioritizes preventive social work to increase the resources and caregiving skills of families – and to ensure access to a stable livelihood and social protection. We work long-term with families living under difficult conditions so that they can create a better foundation for their lives. We support families with education and vocational training, counselling, financial assistance and psychosocial support, so that they are better able to care for their children in a safe environment as well as create a better future for their family.

Our work: Care solutions for children and young people without parental care

If a child’s parents, family, or the duty bearers of the country they live in, are unable to provide care for the child, SOS Children’s Villages can help ensure that the child or young person may grow up in a safe environment with stable relationships, proper care and space to grow, play and thrive. We have been doing this for 75 years – historically in children’s villages all over the world. Today, we offer a wide range of care solutions, from foster families to kinship care.

SOS Children’s Villages base our effort on the individual child or young person’s life situation, and we include the perspectives of children and young people to ensure they are heard and taken seriously. At the same time, the principle of the best interests of the child is always at the heart of decisions concerning their lives. We always strive for the highest quality and relevance in the solution we contribute with.

Humanitarian efforts and long-term development

Some of the countries in which SOS Children’s Villages operate are affected by conflict and/or climate change, which entails difficult conditions for a family life and the fulfillment of individual rights. SOS Children’s Villages is present in over 130 countries through national organisations, which enables us to respond quickly to provide support for children, young people and families during natural disasters, conflicts or war. SOS Children’s Villages’ presence is long-term and not dependent on the duration of a given disaster or war – and we integrate long-term development work with humanitarian action, furthering greater resilience among affected populations.

We promote the rights of children and young people

Our work with children, young people and families is rights-based, and founded in international law and conventions, especially the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. We inform children, young people and families about their rights and support them in speaking up for themselves, while also working to influence duty bearers – e.g. authorities and other social actors – so they may better meet their obligations and responsibilities to fulfil the rights of their citizens. We work closely with our partner organisations to build stronger partnerships with civil and institutional actors such as other organisations, businesses, educational institutions and authorities. We are independent of political and religious agendas and adhere strictly to humanitarian law and principles.