A universal home-visit programme to tailor support to first-time parents: a qualitative case study on parents' perspectives.

BACKGROUND

The first year of a child's life is essential for promoting a healthy life, and the transition to becoming a parent can be a challenge; parents need to develop confidence in their own capacity to care for their child. The national Child Health Services programme in Sweden offers parental support, both on a universal level and in accordance with the individual family's needs. This study explores parents' experiences of an extended home-visit programme offered through a Family Centre to all first-time parents in a municipality.

METHODS

This case study is based on a qualitative reflexive thematic approach, using interviews with first-time parents. Fourteen mothers and five fathers who had taken part in the extended home-visit programme were interviewed by telephone between February 2023 and April 2024.

RESULTS

The analysis resulted in one overarching theme, Universal home-visits create preconditions for tailored parental support, and four subthemes: Relations and continuity are essential; Different professional competencies complement each other and reinforce support; Home environments increase the feeling of security; and The universal approach facilitates acceptance. The parents had mainly positive experiences and thought that extended home-visits could benefit all first-time parents, not only those in socioeconomically vulnerable areas.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that universal extended home-visits create preconditions for more family-tailored support and strengthen first-time parents in developing their parenthood, which in turn increases the possibilities for optimal growth and development of the child.