Table 1 Description of selected interventions

1) The Family Network in Austria: a targeted referral service aimed at families in need with children aged 0–2 and to reduce health inequality by supporting early child development within families facing adverse circumstances providing health care and referrals when needed. This was done by ensuring that families in need received specific support by providing counseling and accompanying families.

2) Toybox from Northern Ireland: an intervention aimed at reaching out to Traveller families to enhance the social, educational, emotional, physical, language and cognitive development of children. By supporting and empowering parents to develop their educational skills, parents participated in children’s learning with positive, non-violent parenting. The intervention was delivered in the family home following individualised plans developed with parents. An objective was to establish trust based relationships with parents and encourage them to become involved in community activities as a support mechanism.

3) The Universal Medical Visitor service from Hungary provided comprehensive medical attention based on the child’s developmental needs and rights. Staff described activities to encourage and promote physical development, communication and emotional stimulation, independency, attention, memory, major motor skills and sense of direction.

4) The Theotokos Centre from Romania aimed at providing unemployed and Roma single mothers and their children with child-care support and programmed structured play activities. The centre emphasised on reinforcing mother and child attachment to prevent child abandonment.

5) The Hungarian adaptation of Sure Start was developed to support children and their families to reduce health inequalities in the most deprived regions. The programme aims to reach families from diverse backgrounds to promote integration of disadvantaged and/or minority - mostly Roma - children and their parents into the community. It establishes cooperation with local services focusing on strengthening parenting capacities and providing advice and support for women seeking employment.