Pedagogical boundary work: when the welfare state becomes entangled with family affairs

In recent years, early interventions concerning children living in social housing areas have received increased political attention, resulting in a range of pedagogical strategies for identifying children and families at risk within Danish daycare institutions. Drawing on empirical material from a recent research project that was carried out in four Danish daycare centers, this article explores pedagogical work that moves beyond the physical and social boundaries of the daycare center and enters family life. Thus, Pedagogues do not solely focus on children’s learning and development, but also on the conditions that promote the well-being of both children and their families. When pedagogues support families in their conduct of everyday life, the welfare state is enacted in and through its relations, both in everyday life and across the division between private and public. The state becomes an ‘intimate state’, resulting in blurred lines and ‘in-between’ positions, as well as new action possibilities and risks for both parents and pedagogues.