49 Mette Kildegaard Hansen Legal Case Officer, Children’s Division One day in April 2013, a group of people from the Ombudsman’s Children’s Division drove towards Esbjerg for a monitoring visit at ‘Børnecenter Døgn’ which, among other things, is a 24-hour residential care facility for children and young people placed in care. As it happened, the trip to Esbjerg was going to be the first step in the Children’s Division’s most extensive group action up till now. In two case reports containing criticism, serious problems with the treatment of vulnerable children were uncovered – both before and after the placement of the children outside the home. The visit also caused the Ombudsman to put forward some views on how long children under emergency placement are to wait for a decision on their future. The visiting team consisted of the head of the Children’s Division, the Division’s child psychologist and a legal case officer. ‘Børnecenter Døgn’ was a random choice. We had planned a monitoring visit to a foster family in Tønder, and we wished to make another visit within a reasonable distance. Therefore, the choice of an institution in Esbjerg was not connected to the National Social Appeals Board’s criticism of the case processing in the children’s sector at Esbjerg Municipality. THOROUGH PREPARATIONS ‘Børnecenter Døgn’ manages Esbjerg Municipality’s services and facilities for vulnerable children and their families. The children’s centre consists of both a day unit and a 24-hour unit and is situated on various addresses in Esbjerg Municipality. Our visit included a home environment – meaning a separate unit in a detached house where children are typically placed with the intent that they stay there throughout their childhood. In addition, the visit included ‘Nord-