The review focuses on home-based programs that support families during the postnatal period and the first years of the child’s life. This period is recognized in the literature as a central stage of infant development and as essential for family well-being. In this stage, the mother’s emotional and functional state, parental sense of competence, and the quality of the bond between mother and infant are associated with the child’s emotional, social, and cognitive development.
The review was conducted for Mothers for Mothers, the umbrella organization of the Mother to Mother program, to deepen understanding of the needs of mothers and infants after childbirth, and to examine how home-based intervention programs in various countries respond to these needs.
The review indicates that home-based programs are based on ongoing personal relationship with the family, providing emotional and practical support and training and professional guidance for intervention providers. Whereas the programs reviewed differ in their goals, target populations, and models of operation, the review emphasizes the importance of early support for families after childbirth as part of an infrastructure for promoting parental well-being and child development. It highlights the first year of life as a significant window of opportunity for child development. Drawing on social support theory, support for mothers may enhance their well-being and sense of competence, thereby fostering their emotional availability and ability to respond sensitively to their infants’ needs – key conditions for the development of secure attachment and healthy child development.
Regarding the Mother to Mother program, the review points to the need for a clear operating model, training tailored to the program’s goals, ongoing professional guidance, and quality assurance mechanisms.
Suggested citation (APA):
Asulin, M., & Lento, T. (2026). Home-based programs supporting families after childbirth: An international review. RR-089-26. Myers-JDC-Brookdale Institute.