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Pensioners stand in line to help Ukrainian refugee children | Politics | DR In one week, more than 600 retired educators have signed up for the task of caring for Ukrainian refugee children across the country. By Anne Henriette Fjellerad from Høje has actually put working life behind her as an educator. But when asked for retired educators to take on the task of caring for Ukrainian refugee children, the desire to work with the 67-year-old pensioner returned. - My gut feeling said that I would like to lend a hand and I have a lot of competencies I can use, she says.In fact, she was the very first to set up via the job bank of educators, .- My phone call was received very kindly and sweetly. And it was repeated several times that it was great that I signed up, says Anne Henriette Fjellerad. And she is not the only one who wants to give an extra spin on to help Ukrainian children in Denmark. © Bo Amstrup / Ritzau Scanpix24,690 Ukrainian refugees have applied for residence in DenmarkPermits granted under special law: 5,005 adults3,319 children under the age of 18Source: The Danish Immigration Service, per. April 26, 615 retired educators and early retirees across the country have signed up to help Ukrainian refugee children in, after-school centers and schools. to sign up for the job bank was sent out right after to about 14,000 educators between 60 and 72 years, who today are either on early retirement or retirement. And the many positive feedbacks is good news for Elisa Rimpler, who is chairman of the educators,. - There is a need for all the professionalism we can get. It makes me happy and proud that so many pensioners and early retirees will help with this important task, says Elisa Rimpler. So far, 24,690 Ukrainian refugees have applied for a residence permit in Denmark under the special law. Of these, 3,319 children under the age of 18 have been granted residence, according to figures from the Danish Immigration Service. has repeatedly emphasized that the reception of Ukrainian refugees is a major task for the municipalities and that there is a lack of qualified people to help. Therefore, Minister for Children and Education Pernille Rosenkrantz Theil (S) has several times the retired educators to sign up for the task, as there is already a shortage of educators in the municipalities. She said this most recently at an earlier in the week. You can see this here: According to, there is a wide range of educators who have signed up with experience from boats, leisure centers, schools and reception classes. And am happy for the interest and thank those who have signed up.- I stand and smile. This is the welfare state at its very best. I'm actually quite overwhelmed by the numbers, says Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil (S) and continues. I stand and smile. This is the welfare state at its very best. I'm actually quite overwhelmed by the numbers. Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil, Minister for Children and Education (S) But have enough people signed up so far? - There are big local differences in how many people are needed, so need infinitely many hands. We already have a lot of pressure on the day care institutions and schools, so they need all the help they can get, says Pernille Rosenkrantz-Theil. so it makes sense for the individual municipality. This means that the municipalities themselves must organize the retired educators as needed. If the municipalities want to use the hands that the retired educators have made available, they must contact the unemployment insurance fund and state their needs. Then the unemployment insurance fund will put them in contact with candidates, informs .- Right now we are in dialogue with KL about how we get the educators in play, says Elisa Rimpler.KL can not inform about the need for retired educators in the individual municipalities on current time.Although many have signed up, there must also be a financial for the educators to put retirement life on pause, believes. has previously demanded that politicians abolish the rule of offsetting their own earned income in basic amounts and pension supplements. They must also have something financial out of helping, says Elisa Rimpler. has already entered into one for pensioners' own earned income from 2023. But if it stands to several parties, it must be removed already now so that the educators are not penalized on the wallet. made a similar scheme for retired nurses during the corona pandemic.And several parties on would like to start negotiations now.- There is no doubt that if this is to succeed, then we need to make some special rules for a period , so that there is no set-off in theirs, says Rene Christensen, who is in the Danish People's Party.- We have not yet been summoned to negotiations. So I have actually sent a letter to the Minister of Employment today and asked if we will not receive a call soon, says Rene Christensen. Radicals, Samira Nawa, can sign it. - I think that is a really good idea. It sounds like a letter I could also have put an autograph on, she says. Employment Minister Peter Hummelgaard (S) is also ready to look at how the retired educators can get rid of set-off in pension before 2023. He subsequently states that he has now convened the parliamentary parties for negotiations.- The retired educators do not have to wait until 2023 to get rid of set-off, says Peter Hummelgaard.- We (, ed.) have not settled on a model in advance. But we must negotiate a good solution for those who are now signing up to make this effort for the Ukrainian refugee children, says the parliamentary parties have been summoned to negotiations on 5 May.