FAMILY ENTREPRENEURS

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Stronger Parents –Healthier Communities – Healthier children

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Agenda

• Presentation and background

• Presentation of the Healthcare system in Denmark

• Healthcare in Viborg

• Parenting program – ”Family Entrepreneurs”

• Questions?

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Presentation and backgroundJette Bering

• Development Coordinator in the HealthCare department in the

Municipality in Viborg

• Working experience with children and families for more than 30 years –

the last 15 years at the HealthCare department in the Municipality in

Viborg

• RN, Health Visitor – specialized in child health & development,

interactions between child/ parent, health promotion & prevention

• Educated instructor in several family programs

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Presentation of the Healthcare system in Denmark

Ministry of Health• The Ministry has overall responsibility for health policy and health care

Danish Health Authority• Promote public health and establish a good framework for the health service in

Denmark. Advice municipalities and regions and offer recommendations & guidelines.

Municipality in Viborg - Children & Young Department• “Light in the eyes of the children” Coherent Child and Youth Policy 2014 – 2017• Focus on Early detections and early interventions

Healthcare Department in Viborg• Health care is a voluntary and free service to all families with children aged 0-18 years,

and pregnant couples • To help ensure children and youth healthy growth, and create good preconditions for

healthy adulthood • 96.000 inhabitants / 1000 newborns pr. year/ 12.000 school children/ 33 Health Visitors

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Healthcare in Viborg, DK

• “Family Entrepreneurs” to all first time pregnant couples

• Home visits regular during a child´s first year

• Vulnerable pregnant couples, families with infants, small children and school children gets an extended offer

• Consultant function - In relation to interdisciplinary partners as doctors, midwifes,social workers, nursery teachers, teachers ect.

• Regular examinations and consultations during the time the children goes to Primary School

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Gradient of Parent Competencies

Parent can integrate experiences but needs new information to change.

Parent can integrate experiences, but needs another perspective and dialogue to problem-solve.

Parent can use explicit information to describe problems, including their own contribution, but cannot integrate discrepant information.

Parent’s maladaptive behavior is generated implicitly. Parent needs to (1) recognize the triggers, (2) talk about hopes and fears, (3) recognize discrepancy, (4) transform distorted information, (5) integrate the discrepancy and (6) experience being understood before they can understand their children empathetically.

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Familiy Entrepreneurs

• A good and healthy start for first

time parents

• Increases stress management

• Free to attend

Originally invented in Sweden –The ”Leksand model”

Developed in 2010 in Denmark

Intensions behindThe Family Entrepreneurs

• Networking

• Improving the relationship

between the parents –drastically declining

divorce rate (Sweden)

• Increase the knowledge of

the child´s development and

skills

• Possibility for discussion

and reflection – and

changes

How do werecruit pregnantcouples to the course?

• Recruitment through Midwifes

• The Midwife introduce the family

program for the pregnant couple

at the preventive pregnancycare

visit week 16 - Self sign-up

• Vulnerable pregnant couples are

getting help with the registration

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The frame around Family Intrepreneurs

• 14 meetings during 1½ year – from pregnant week 26 until the children are 15 month old

• Every meeting last for 2 hours, always in the afternoon so bothparents can participate

• The meeting takes place in a public place. In Viborg at the Municipality Health Centre.

• There are 20 parents in a group - 10 couples• Single parents do also participate. They can bring someone close to them to the

meetings

Contents in the meetings

MeetingDato

Age of the infant ContentsStandard –not specific

guidanceto the single

couple

Facilitator

1 26 weeksPresentation and expectationsNetworkingEconomy in the FamilyAn infant`s needs

Health VisitorBank Manager

2 28 weeksSecuring each other legallyNetworkingMaternity leave – for the coming fatherand mother

LawyerHealth Visitor

330 weeks Prepared to give birth

Birth stages, who to contact ect.Midwife

431 weeks The newborn infant

Interaction, breastfeeding ect.Midwife

532 weeks Becoming a Family

Increased sensitivity, reactions to becoming a parent

MidwifeHealth Visitor

Age of infant Contents Facilitator

6 1 monthPresentation of the infantSensory motor skillsThe good interaction

Health Visitor

Physiotherapist

7 2 monthActivities with the infant and the infant´ssignalsAfter birth reactions / postnataldepression

Health Visitor

8 3 monthInteractions in the FamilyMedia habitsActivities with the infant

Health VisitorSSP - consultant

9 4 monthEarly language developmentPrevention of illness

Speech therapistHealth Visitor

10 5 monthTooth HealthInfants first food

Dentist Health Visitor

11 6 monthThe good transition to DaycareThe infant´s sleep and habits

Nursery teacher from DaycareHealth Visitor

12 8 monthThe personality and independence of the infantAccident prevention

Health Visitor

13 10 monthEveryday life and family dynamicsInfant development – habits and routinesin everyday life

Health Visitor

14 15 monthTogetherness with the infant Upbringing and family pleasures and challenges

PhysiotherapistHealth Visitor

The first meeting

Look at similarities – they all expect

their first infant

Find inspiration in others who are

different from themselves

We don´t ask them about education

and work – not to exhibit the

vulnerable couples

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Ice – breakersto support the knowledge of each other / networking/ goodatmosphere

• ”Speed – dating”

• Keep in line after:

• The ”due – date”

• Height

• Age

• Ect.

Economy

Getting an infant changes the

economy – new expenses:

• The economy can be a challenge for

the couples

• Maternative leave – for both parents

• Buy things for the infant / Daycare

• Overview of the economy

Networking

• Expectations and agreements

for the group

• How to respect and support

each other in the group

• Facebook Group etc.

• An opportunity to share and

become aware of own values

and attitudes

• New ideas

Securing each other

There are a lot of things happening

• Establishing work and privacy

- New Identity as a Mom, Dad - family

• Financial obligations

• Maybe new housing –

move together

• Business, stress and fatigue

• Divorce rate in DK is high among

small child families

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What does a small infant really need?

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Prevention of maternal stress

What does a small infant really need?Sensitive and Healthy parents

• Being close to the parents

• To be looked after, cared for and

understood

Clothes, diapers, bathtubs etc.

To have something to eat

A good sleep - bed, baby stroller and lift

A place where the infant has the

opportunity to play and explore

The newborn baby

Presentation of the infant

• Being together with the infant -

sensory motor development

• The good interaction –

how to support your infant

• Getting to know your infant

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Presentation of the infant

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Proud fathers

Crying –the baby´s first language

• Crying is a necessary part

of the infant's behavior

• Crying is a need of contact

• The infant does not cry for no

reason, so you will learn to

"Read" the infant's signals

What do you do, when your baby is crying?

What feelings do you get? And how do you

cobe with that?

SleepSome infants sleep frequently

and some sleep a long time.

Other infants do not sleep much

and maybe not so long.

But all the infants need

a firm sleep rhyme.

How is your baby sleeping?

How does it affect you as a parent –

if your baby don´t want to sleep?

Share the good experience and the challenges

Being a parentParenthoodShare the most important things?

Communication with the infant

• Imitating facial expressions

• Imitating the baby´s sounds

• Tell the baby what you´re

doing

• Watch, wait and wonder

• Being a mother/father and a

partner

Parent communitiesParent communities and healthy

media habits – something we share

and care about / Louise and Louise

Communication and parenting –

• How good and bad

communication between the

parents affects the infant

• How to focus on the things you

appriciate

• How to get help

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Healthy media habits

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The good atmosphere and the community

Language developmentTo listen, to speak, to play, to sing, to read and to be together

Illnesses• A concern that comes with

parenting

• All children becomes ill occasionally• Virus infections

• Bacterial infections

• Prevention of infections by good

hand hygiene

• When and how to

contact the Doctor?

• Fever cramps - what to do?

TeethFree municipal dental care from

0 – 18 years

Healthy food and teeth

How to brush the child´s teeth – what

to do, if the child doesn´t want

What to do if the child strikes the

teeth ect.

Eating with a spoonand drinking from a cup

• Transition from breast milk to food

- a learning proces for the whole family

• ”One spoon of food, one spoon of

love” – interaction related to the meal

• Varied food prevents fussiness

• Taste, touch and feel

• Healthy lifestyle, good habits and

regular exercise

Public Daycare

• 77 % af women between 15 and

64 years are on the labor market

in DK

• Public daycare - starting around 8

months old

• The transition from home to

daycare

CooperationCooperation between parents, staff

and other parents –great importance to the infant´s

well-being and development

Mutual expectations:• Open and honest communication

• Trust

• Shared responsibility – an active role

• Dialogue

• Mutual respect and good relations

Accident preventionThe most common accidents:- Falls from changing table, bed, sofa

or on stairs

- Burns from hot coffee, boiling water

from a electric kettle

- Crush accidents – getting fingers or

toes caught in a door or drawer

- Drowning – bathtub

Try to look at your home through the eyes of a

small child. What should you be aware of in

your home?

Raising a childParents communication

• Garbage bin and treasure chest -

• What do you want to pass on to your

child from your own childhood?

Positive guidning – when the

parent need to set limits:

• Avoid scolding

• Be aware of the child´s

intentions

• Be a facilitator not a controller

Habits and rutines in every day life

Family life• Being together as a family

• The child’s motor development

• Important to experience with

the body

• Raising a child / family life

• Family priorities

• Future of the group

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The Parents´ Ten ref. Robert Epstein

• Love and affection

• Stress management

• Relationship skills

• Autonomy and independence

• Education and learning

• Life skills

• Behavior management

• Health

• Religion

• Safety

The contents of ”Family Entrepreneurs” are comparable to these themesfrom The Parents´ Ten

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Questions?

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Questions to you?

• Were you inspired by the parent program?

• Could you incorporate something like this in your own country?

• What do you see in terms of strengths and challenges?

• Do you have any suggestions on how we can improve the program?

• Suggestions for how we can get more vulnerable parents to

participate and continue to attend the meetings?

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Thank you for your attention

Jette Beringjbc@viborg.dk

Phone: +45 87877745