New program in Billund Municipality supports vulnerable new parents like Ayoe and Sune Svaneborg Bullock

After discovering they were going to be parents, Ayoe and Sune Svaneborg Bullock reached out to the municipality for support, recognizing their need for assistance in building confidence in their parenting roles. Living in Filskov, Billund Municipality, the couple both have mental health diagnoses, and Ayoe has been in foster care since she was a child.

“I grew up in various foster homes, so I didn’t get the nurturing experience that typically comes from living with one’s parents,” Ayoe explained. During her pregnancy, they were introduced to a new program called Minding the Baby, initiated by Billund Municipality along with nine other Danish municipalities aimed at supporting vulnerable new parents. Initial evaluations show this initiative may help reduce the rate of children being placed outside their homes, with a significant drop in placements reported for families engaged in the program.

Minding the Baby provides a multidisciplinary approach consisting of regular home visits from a public health nurse and a family support worker, starting during pregnancy and continuing until the child is two years old. The program is particularly beneficial for parents who have faced trauma or neglect in their own upbringing, helping them learn to respond to their child’s needs.

Ayoe and Sune expressed that their experiences with the program were overwhelmingly positive, emphasizing the importance of building a trusting relationship with the professionals involved. They found that this connection helped them navigate challenges, especially when Ayoe faced postpartum depression.

Although the scheduled visits concluded when their son Theodor turned two, Ayoe and Sune feel empowered and equipped to continue their parenting journey, confident in their abilities to foster a nurturing environment for their family.