Chapter 8 Fact sheet: Family-centred Focus to Organization of Services in Maternity and Newborn Care

Family-centred maternity and newborn care (FCMNC) begins with attitudes and practices that value and respect women and trans or non-binary people, and their families, and focuses on the many environments influencing the family, including the social, psychological, spiritual, and physical environments.

Achieving the goals of FCMNC is based on an organization of services that considers:

• All stakeholders when planning and providing care, including parents/families, community groups and agencies, home and community care, health care providers (HCPs), governments, and health care administrators and management;
• Provision of accessible care, with consideration given to the family's geographical, demographic, and cultural conditions;
• Keeping families together to whatever extent possible, if separation becomes necessary enabling communication between family members;
• Collaboration and communication among all participants, parents, and caregivers with regard to consultation, transport, and referral;
• The design of facilities and equipment required taking into account the needs of women and families;
• Provision of education for women, families, and HCPs;
• Coordination of services and supports within a community to ensure continuity of care;
• Common frameworks to quality of care, and ongoing evaluation of outcomes;
• Efficient and ethical use of personnel, facilities, and resources.

While also taking into account:

• Canada's size and low population density;
• The different needs of Indigenous communities;
• The shift in maternity HCPs - the attrition of family physicians providing maternity care and the growing contribution of midwives.