People in Denmark have appreciable freedom to structure their family lives as they wish. Some people live alone, others in large families. Some people divorce, some find new partners; some people have a lot of children, others choose not to have any. People are largely free to structure their free time as they choose – even though a clear relationship can often be observed between the choices they make and their gender, level of education and/or age. The choices people make in their private lives also have an impact in a broader perspective, and major trends can eventually have consequences on society as a whole.

A key task of the welfare state is to ensure that as few people as possible are marginalised in society, living lives far removed from the labour market and the education system. Lives in which criminality and substance abuse can sometimes become distinguishing features. Another special assignment of the welfare state is to guarantee a reasonable standard of living for people who, for one reason or another, have difficulty navigating the labour market and society in general. This task is handled, for example, via transfer incomes, as well as through services created specifically to help vulnerable groups. Particular attention is devoted to children born into families that are facing challenges of various types. What can be done to ensure that these children do not inherit and perpetuate the problems of their parents?