Centering-based group care in the Community

A good (social) network is important for (future) parents. It supports them ensuring a safe and healthy upbringing of their children.

Centering and the neighbourhood: Because it takes a neighbourhood to raise a child

What's the problem?

Many parents experience little contact with the neighbourhood in which they live; they often feel lonely and isolated, have difficulty finding support, and they do not experience continuity of care.

Organizations and local initiatives in the social and voluntary domain, such as the library and the community centre etc. find it difficult to connect with (future) parents and young mothers.

Solution: Neighbourhood-oriented group care!

TNO, in collaboration with the Foundation Centering Netherlands, developed a way to combine the Centering-based group care model with the local neighbourhood.

The aim is:

1. To integrate health care with the social domain;
2. To connect Centering-based group antenatal care (GANC) or Centering-based group well-child care (GWCC) with existing neighbourhood organizations and initiatives.

What is Neighbourhood-oriented group care?

Neighbourhood-oriented group care is a centering module in which group care participants are actively linked to activities & facilities in their neighbourhood.

This neighbourhood-oriented approach can easily be implemented into regular GANC or GWCC. As a healthcare provider, you can take the initiative together with your local neighbourhood partners to apply this module and when and how to integrate this into regular healthcare and activities.

Impact

By implementing the neighbourhood-oriented approach, you actively facilitate meetings between (future) parents and neighbourhood professionals & volunteers for social support, connection and care. This lowers the threshold to a strong social network for (future) parents and facilitates support and the use of facilities, especially for vulnerable families.

How to connect GANC or GWCC with the local neighbourhood?

• Think outside the box!
• Connect with key figures from the social and volunteer network in the neighbourhood
• Follow the available training
• Use the manual and/or blueprint
• Follow the step-by-step plan

Examples of how to connect GANC or GWCC with the neighbourhood:

• Organize a discovery tour or walk through the neighbourhood with your Centering-based group
• Organize a GANC or GWCC meeting in the local library
• Organize continuity of care by connecting GANC with GWCC groups, including the neighbourhood module
• Interactive health fair with neighbourhood actors
• Combine GANC or GWCC with a local Baby Café

More information & materials

• Blue print Neighbourhood-oriented Centering care. 

• Manual Neighbourhood-oriented Centering care.
• Tool: Centering time line and associated cards.

The materials are available from: www.centeringzorg.nl or https://groupcare.global/

Training

Training is available to support facilitators from the social domain. For more information please connect with marlies.rijnders@tno.nl

Share initiatives

Do you have any further ideas? Do you have your own neighbourhood initiative? We would love to hear about it!

Let us know by filling in the short survey.

You can do this until 22 December 2023.

Please share any photographs or footage that you have available by sending an email to zeena.harakeh@tno.nl

Initiatives will be shared on this page to inspire other healthcare providers.