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The Effects of Invisible Support in Refugee Care for Intergenerational Health

Prenatal stress has profound, long-term consequences for unborn children, increasing their risk of mental health issues and perpetuating intergenerational health disparities. Despite their importance, informal supportive actions—referred to as invisible care—are often excluded from Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) frameworks, leaving their impact unrecognized and underfunded. This research seeks to document and validate these unacknowledged practices, offering practical insights to improve maternal and child health outcomes while addressing structural gaps in humanitarian aid frameworks.

Focusing on refugee reception centers in Europe, the study examines how invisible care, delivered by staff and volunteers, reduces stress in pregnant women and improves health outcomes for their children. By bridging anthropology, public health, and policy analysis, the project highlights gaps in existing M&E systems and offers recommendations to integrate these practices into formal evaluations. In collaboration with "Because We Carry" and other humanitarian organizations, the research seeks to enhance maternal and child health, ensure the value of invisible care is recognized, and improve funding opportunities for organizations delivering these critical interventions. 

Researchteam: 

Dr. R.S. (Roanne) van Voorst

Futures Anthropologist and President of the Dutch Future Society; expert in humanitarian aid and crisis settings, University of Amsterdam.

r.s.vanvoorst@uva.nl

  • Prof. Tessa Rosenboom, Professor of Early Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Amsterdam; Future Generations Commissioner, Amsterdam UMC. 

  • Dr. Marjette Koot, General Practitioner and Research Associate in Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam UMC; specialist in refugee health and intergenerational stress.