New initiative “Minding the Baby” launched in 10 Danish municipalities to support vulnerable parents

A new initiative called “Minding the Baby” is being implemented in 10 Danish municipalities to support vulnerable parents through consistent home visits from a public health nurse and a family consultant. This approach allows the professionals to build strong relationships with the families, helping parents understand and respond to their children’s needs. Preliminary results indicate that the program may effectively reduce the number of children placed outside their homes.

Maiken Pontoppidan, a senior researcher at Vive, the National Research and Analysis Center for Welfare, oversees the evaluation of the project. She reports a potential reduction in placements, with up to four times fewer occurrences among participating children.

The initiative is distinctive due to its long-term commitment, starting during the mother’s pregnancy and continuing until the child is two years old. Funding for the program has come from the A.P. Møller Support Foundation, but as this funding concludes at the end of the year, municipalities are expected to cover the costs if they wish to continue.

Over 90% of the municipalities involved plan to maintain the initiative. Among these, Billund Municipality has found the program effective enough to allocate funds for its continuation. Bjarne Larsen, the head of the Children and Family Committee, believes that early intervention can prevent costly and emotionally taxing scenarios, including the need for foster care.

The municipality estimates that Minding the Baby prevents at least one placement per year, offsetting the program’s costs by saving on the expenses associated with foster care. While human costs in these situations are beyond monetary evaluation, Larsen acknowledges that financial realities are a significant concern for local governments, underscoring the importance of responsibly managing resources within the community.