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Family Visiting Specialists – Supporting 325 Families with Newborns
Since 2022, a home visit healthcare service has been helping families in Lithuania who are expecting a baby, have recently given birth, or are raising a child up to two years old. The service is growing in demand and recognition. Currently, 13 family visiting specialists provide support to 325 families in 16 municipalities as part of a pilot project. The programme is set to launch nationwide in May 2025.
This service is based on international best practices, where trained healthcare professionals help mothers reduce risks and prevent complications, take care of their own and their baby’s health and develop strong maternal skills.
"Welcoming a newborn is a joyful but life-changing experience, often full of challenges—especially for mothers. That’s why our programme focuses on supporting them and their babies in the crucial first days of life. Early assistance, starting from pregnancy, helps prevent and address challenges in time. The experience of our specialists shows just how valuable this service is," explains Gytė Sirgedienė, Head of Investment Implementation Division at the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania.
During home visits, specialists provide essential healthcare services, such as helping with newborn care (e.g., umbilical cord care, hygiene), offering breastfeeding consultations, guiding mothers on healthy lifestyle changes, preventing and identifying health risks for both mother and baby. Each family receives 64 visits in total: 14 visits during pregnancy, 28 visits from birth to 1 year and 22 visits from age 1 to 2 years.
There have already been cases where timely intervention prevented serious health problems for both mother and baby. "We are like family doctors, earning and keeping the trust of the families we visit. This trust is essential, as we can catch and prevent serious issues like postpartum depression or breastfeeding difficulties early on," says Irena Stažinskaitė-Glinskienė, a family visiting specialist from Plungė District.
She believes expecting mothers need guidance well before childbirth: "When a woman understands what’s happening to her body and knows that her goal is to help her baby enter the world, she feels much calmer and more confident during childbirth."
The Ministry of Health is now working to expand and regulate this service nationwide. More specialists will be trained through the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, based on international models.
Studies from the United States, where similar programmes have been in place for years, show impressive results: 60% reduction in infant mortality, 38% fewer hospitalizations for babies (ages 0–2) due to injuries, 31% fewer child abuse cases (ages 4–15), 46% fewer juvenile (ages 15–17) arrests, improved child development and breastfeeding rates.
More about the Health Programme
The European Economic Area Financial Mechanism Health Programme projects in Lithuania aim to strengthen mental health services in communities and improve the well-being of children and young people. The programme's various measures include the development of psychosocial support, youth-friendly health services, support for vulnerable children and young people, the establishment of one-stop help centres for children and families, training for parents under the 'Incredible Years' programme, cooperation between families and health professionals, and the development of services and support for pregnant women, mothers in labour, and mothers of children up to the age of two. In total, more than €17.9 million has been earmarked for the Health Programme for 2014-2021.