Supported in a time of need – Parents’ perceptions of a Swedish extended home visiting program

Background

Home visiting programs offer a way of delivering child health services to families that need them the most, based on socioeconomic and psychosocial conditions. An extended multiprofessional home visiting program, Together for a safe start, was tested in four municipalities in the middle and southern parts of Sweden targeting first-time parents and immigrant parents having their first child in Sweden. The aim was to explore parents’ perceptions of the program conducted by a nurse and a social service counselor.

Methods

Interviews with 17 parents (12 mothers and 5 fathers) who had participated in the program were conducted. The data were coded inductively and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings were discussed and validated with parents from the community who advised the research team.

Results

Three main themes were identified (1). Trust was created in the comfort of the home, with the subthemes ‘Home environment had many advantages’, and ‘Team’s way of working created trust’; (2) The information on child health and development was valuable, with the subthemes ‘Practical information and advice were useful’ and ‘Information on child development gave guidance’; and (3) Socioemotional support kept the parents’ worries at bay, with the subthemes ‘Mental well-being of the parents was cared for’ and ‘Parents felt supported in their new role’. Areas for improvement included mitigating the fear of social services, paying more attention to fathers’ mental health and providing more written information.

Conclusions

The home environment, adaptability to parents’ needs, a combination of practical information on the child’s development, and emotional support to parents were underscored as vital components of a successful home visiting program. The results reaffirm the potential of extended home visiting programs to increase trust and make child health services accessible, as well as bridge the gap between immigrant parents and societal services.

Key messages

• The extended home visiting program increased trust between the multiprofessional care team and immigrant parents and made primary child healthcare more accessible.

• Adaptability to parents’ needs and the combination of practical information on child health & development, and emotional support to parents are vital components of a successful home visiting program.