Starting 1 October 2023, the Maternity Hospital Foundation, the Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Latvian Midwives Association will conduct a large-scale project to improve the support system for under-age expectant girls in Latvia. The project, which serves as the second phase of the Children’s Hospital Foundation’s project launched in 2022, aims to strengthen cooperation between state, municipal and non-governmental organisations, educate youth, obstetricians, and the public to improve the support system for expectant girls at the national level!
Within the framework of the project “Protecting the interests of vulnerable social groups – under-age expectant girls by creating a state support system, Phase II”, financed by the Society Integration Foundation from the funds allocated by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, a communication model between various specialists for providing support services to under-age expectant girls will be developed and tested in practice, as well as training programmes for professionals will be developed and implemented.
Extensive awareness-raising activities on the problem and its solutions will take place among different groups of the population, and various modern educational and supportive information tools and materials will be developed for the vulnerable group (underage expectant girls) as well as for the youth, with the aim of educating them about reproductive health.
The project will include a wide range of activities:
- Networking activities for partners involved in the support system for under-age expectant girls and representatives of public authorities – eight working group meetings, development of a communication model for cooperation between professionals working in the field of support for under-age expectant girls, piloting of the model and development of a plan for preventive work to prevent unplanned pregnancies before the onset of adulthood through various informative tools.
- Mentoring programme for under-age expectant girls. The project partners, together with professionals in the field, will develop a “Mentoring Programme for Under-age expectant girls “, an analytical document to be presented to decision-makers as a plan for a future state-funded services. The existing mentoring programme of the Children’s Hospital Foundation for pregnant minors will be enhanced.
- Training programme for midwives. The midwifery support programme “Power of the Word” in professional and respectful contact and communication, developed by the Maternity Hospital Foundation and accredited by the Latvian Medical Association, will be enhanced and adapted to work also with under-age pregnant girls. During the project, two adapted midwifery training cycles will be carried out, which will focus on the specifics of the field of underage expectant girls (40 midwives will be trained).
- Conference on “The support system for under-age expectant girls and the international experience”. The conference will not only discuss the progress and achievements of the project, but will also promote systemic change – calling on decision-makers to be aware of the situation of underage expectant girls in Latvia, the challenges faced by young mothers, the much-needed state support in shaping their quality of life, and finding solutions to these challenges in policy-making and enforcement.
- Three series of broadcasts on public attitudes, communication and perceptions towards underage expectant girls, the Children’s Hospital Foundation’s mentoring programme, experiences, challenges, the lack of state support for underage expectant girls, and the vision and strategy for the future in addressing the challenges in this area.
- Preparation of information materials with focused information on support for underage expectant girls (mentoring services, maternity bags, midwifery advisory service, contact details, other relevant information). The materials will be both electronic and hard copy.
- Development of an informative and educational mobile application with a variety of informative materials and a chance to ask questions anonymously and receive answers.
- Updating the website www.atbalstaceļvedis.lv with information for underage expectant girls. The interactive website will serve as an additional support platform for both professionals and the project target group, where all necessary information on support for underage expectant girls in Latvia ( services available, mentoring programme, counselling, receiving information, etc.) will be concentrated/updated in one safe and reliable place.
Project duration: 01.10.2023 – 01.10.2025
The project is funded by the Social Integration Foundation from the European Union – NextGenerationEU.
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