Emphasis is on two groups of female immigrants: female immigrants who are lonely and lack the capacity to support their children’s upbringing, and women who are educated to become neighborhood mothers who pass on knowledge to women on children’s upbringing and society (role models). The assumption is that both groups will be more active in their children’s upbringing and integration, along with the neighborhood mothers gaining a wider network, better language skills, self-confidence and improving their competences in relation to education/work to make them become active citizens (p. 4 in the evaluation of the project 2010 (in Danish)). Listed measurable goals from an evaluation from 2010 are:

• Neighborhood mothers gaining more knowledge on their children’s well-being, health, schools etc;
• Neighborhood mothers’ experience of being more attached to a network;
• Neighborhood mothers’ experience of becoming clearer on issues such as education/ work;
• Neighborhood mothers passing on knowledge to other women (P.7-8 in the evaluation of the project 2010 (in Danish)).

The main actions of the neighborhood mothers are dialogue, bridge building (between the women and public authorities) and network (establishing contact between the women and others in civil society). In order to fulfill this function, the neighborhood mothers participate in a course and are educated in different topics in relation to children’s upbringing etc.

In the evaluation from 2012, it is listed how many women have received education as neighborhood mothers:

• 2008: 9,
• 2009: 19,
• 2010: 15,
• 2011: 66,
• 2012: 138,
• Total: 247 (P. 24 in the evaluation 2012 – see this link which can guide you to the evaluation).

In May 2012, the neighborhood mothers made 265 visits to women, and the topics of discussion were, among others, children, health, contact with the municipal authorities, schools , economy and loneliness (p. 32 in the evaluation from 2012 – see this link which can guide you to the evaluation). The evaluation from 2010 e.g. states that the women generally feel proud to be a part of the project, and speak enthusiastically about their participation. The evaluation also states that the project is important for the neighborhood mothers’ self-confidence and self-perception. Neighborhood mothers perceive themselves as role models who contribute actively to integration in Denmark (For more information see p. 39 in the evaluation of the project 2010 (in Danish))

The Danish Center for Urban Regeneration and Community Development evaluated the project in 2010, and MHT Consult evaluated the project in 2012. The evaluation from 2012 is based on two surveys and qualitative interviews. Some of the individual projects have also been evaluated (see an evaluation of the project in Randers (in Danish)). Several recommendations were made in 2012 (see this link which can guide you to the evaluation). Among other things, it was recommended that the organization should define their role in relation to the role of the public system (make the concrete interface clear) and that the Neighborhood mothers’ nation-wide organization should consider making a corps of neighborhood fathers.

The target group’s children, and the Neighborhood mothers and their children will benefit. Society as a whole will also benefit from the education of the neighborhood mothers because they gain the capabilities to become active citizens in society.

The Neighborhood mothers’ nation-wide organization is a private organization placed under the non-profit fund: The Fund for Social Responsibility (For more information see the Neighborhood mothers’ webpage (in Danish)). The neighborhood mothers seek public and private funds yearly to run the secretary and for guidance, information and support for the work that the neighborhood mothers do in Denmark. In 2013, the neighborhood mothers receive funding from The Ministry of Social Affairs, Children and Integration, Bikubenfonden and the municipality of Copenhagen (For more information see the Neighborhood mothers’ webpage (in Danish)). Previously, the projects were a part of the Government’s program on women called “Nydanske Kvinders ressourcer i fokus”, running from 2007 to 2011. Throughout this period, the neighborhood mothers received 12 million DKK from the program and managed to establish 21 projects in which 300 neighborhood mothers were educated. The projects have also received funding from the local government (For more information see Nyidanmark (In Danish)).