Maternal and child health gains are rarely driven by a single breakthrough. They come from health systems that work, where proven solutions are delivered consistently, families are supported over time, and health workers have the tools and trust they need to do their jobs well.
In Indonesia, that reality is shaping Global Communities’ work through the Continuum of Family Care (CfC) program. While the nation has reduced maternal mortality significantly since 2000, national averages often mask a more difficult reality in rural areas. Although newborn and infant survival has improved nationally, early childhood nutrition services remain inadequate, contributing to stunting rates that carry long-term consequences for learning and a child's ability to thrive as an adult.
Before this work began in 2022, Banten Province experienced a 16% increase in maternal mortality between 2019 and 2020, and a 24.5% stunting rate. In villages like Pager Batu, key Ministry of Health programs, including the Pregnancy Class (Kelas Ibu Hamil) and the One Village, One Early Childhood Development Center (PAUD) program, had yet to be implemented. Without consistent touchpoints, care remained fragmented and unavailable, contributing to a reality where children were projected to reach only 53% of their full potential according to the World Bank’s Human Capital Index.
The First 1,000 Days
Starting in October 2022, in partnership with the Banten Provincial and Pandeglang Regency Health Offices, Global Communities and local nonprofit Yayasan Pembangunan Citra Insan Indonesia (YPCII) began implementing the Continuum of Family Care (CfC) model in 11 village health posts (Posyandus) in Pager Batu village.
The project has a clear focus on the critical first 1,000 days — the window from conception to a child’s second birthday that defines a person’s lifelong health. We expanded to six additional Posyadus in Alaswangi village in January 2025.
A distinctive feature of this program is its emphasis on engaging fathers and promoting male involvement in child health and nutrition, ensuring the responsibility of a healthy future is supported by the entire household. The model first engages pregnant women in group antenatal care sessions led by a midwife and supported by community health workers known as kaders. After delivery, those same kaders ensure families transition seamlessly into the parenting and nurturing care program, providing continuity of support during these vital early formative years.
That continuity depends on 84 kaders across both villages, who serve as the primary link between 13,000 residents and the formal health system. Each kader supports approximately four pregnant women and 20 children under the age of two, a ratio intentional enough to allow for the personalized attention and persistent follow-up that builds genuine trust within the home. To ensure these frontline workers have the technical support they need, dedicated YPCII staff provide ongoing supervision and assistance in both villages, professionalizing the care delivered at the doorstep.
Results and Global Innovation
This foundation of trust is why enrollment in pregnancy classes has reached 99% in villages where they didn't exist three years ago. It also makes clinical innovations possible. For example, UNIMMAP Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) — named one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2025 — are proven to reduce stillbirth and infant mortality. But a supplement only works if a family feels safe using it. We began integrating MMS into the program in 2024 by working through kaders and midwives who sit with parents, explain the benefits of daily MMS during pregnancy, and address concerns about safety or misinformation throughout the entire pregnancy.
The impact of this consistent, person-to-person support is visible in the shifting health behaviors of these communities. In Pager Batu, exclusive breastfeeding rates climbed from 58% to 73%, while the proportion of children gaining weight each month improved from 50% to 77%. Perhaps most telling is the shift in family dynamics, where fathers’ participation in growth monitoring sessions in Pager Batu grew from 0% to 35%.
A Scalable Community-Based Model
These outcomes prove that a seamless transition from maternal care to early childhood health is possible when families are supported by knowledgeable people that they trust. By enhancing nutritional practices and involving fathers as active partners in child health, the CfC model is moving the needle on long-term developmental outcomes. The expansion into Alaswangi village highlighted the replicability of this approach across different communities.
The success of the CfC model demonstrates how professionalizing community care and fostering deep-rooted trust creates resilient health systems capable of securing a healthier future for every mother and child.