Report-back Seminar“Early Intervention” in Family and Preschool Children ServicesOutcome Framework and Critical

Success Factors / Principles

Evidence base of community based early intervention program (Family First, 2004, p.2). Evidence of brain development

Early childhood research suggests that good early childhood development program can improve children’s behavior, learning and health in later life Old et al 1997, Beurrueta-Clements, 1984).

Early intervention services have the greatest impact when they can address a broad range of issues and are provided as part of a coordinated network (Loeber and Farrington, 1998; Wilson and Dunne, 1998)

Effective parenting relies not only on the capacity of an individual or family, but also on the health of a neighborhood and community (Garbarino, 1992; Vinson, 1999)

Bronfenbrenner’s ecological system

Social and political environment Employment rate, policies, funding

CommunityHealth services housing disability social capital

school preschools childcare

Social support networkPeers and friends,Church, neighbors,

Extended family

family

child

Outcome FrameworkChild outcome Indicators1.Child physical development 1.1 Antenatal and birth data 1.2 breastfeeding 1.3 Immunization 1.4 Child injuries 1.5 Child oral health

2. Child social and emotional 2.1 Child social and emotional

development development 2.2 Child mental health

3. Child educational 3.1 Under school age development participation 3.2 Preparation for school 3.3 Educational achievement 3.4 Participation in education

Outcome FrameworkFamily outcomes Indicators4. Mental health and wellbeing 4.1 Maternal health and wellbeing

5. Family relations 5.1 Family relations

6. Family participation outside 6.1 Employment, educationthe household and participation

7. Risk of harm 7.1 Child protection

7.2 Domestic violence

Outcome FrameworkCommunity outcomes Indicators8. Community networks and 8.1 Community cohesionPrograms 8.2 Facilities and programs 8.3 Participation and consultation

9. Criminal activity 9.1 Juvenile and adult crime

10. Housing 10.1 Housing stability

The time scale 2-5 years before a decrease in risk factors., e.g.

improvement in age appropriate social development, earlier identification of mental care needs of children.

5-10 years before an enhancement in positive and healthy development, e.g. decrease in school absenteeism, decreases in children’s emotional and behavioral problems, decrease in smoking, drug and alcohol problems.

10-15 years before a vision for a healthy community is embedded in the social contexts and institutions of a community, e.g. positive changes in educational participation and outcomes, in particular from socio-economic disadvantaged background.

Evidenced effectiveness (Katz, 2005)

Consistent evidence on intensive interventions with parents and children focusing on learning skills; Quality child care (for the most deprived children) and whole school approaches

Home visits by professionals received more evidence than home visiting volunteers

Multiple interventions (Workfare + parenting/childcare) vs single interventions (Workfare)

Case management vs join up services

Community development vs social support.

Critical Success Factors / Principles (Ramey & Ramey, 1992, cited in Katz, 2005). Are more intensive and have active participants.

Begin earlier and last longer, as well as providing ongoing support to maintain early gain.

Provide comprehensive rather than narrowly-focused services

Direct services to children instead of expecting to achieve effects on children through parents’ effort only.

Critical Success Factors / Principles (Katz, 2005) A broader perspective on outcome Context Service input is only part of any potenti

al solution Focus on the right person Appropriateness of services Workforce – training and qualifications Importance of implementation: It is not

what you do but the way you do it (Katz, 2005)

References

Garbarino, J. And Kostelny, K. (1992). Child maltreatment as a community problem. Child Abuse and Neglect, 16, 445-464.

Katz, I. (2005). Prevention and early intervention – research and policy issues, power-point file of a talk delivered on 17.11.05.

Loeber, R. and Farrington, D. (1998). Never too early, too late: Risk factors and successful interventions for serious and violent juvenile offenders. Studies on Crime and crime prevention, 7 (1).

Vinson, T. and Baldry, E. (1999). The spatial clustering of child maltreatment. Trend and Issues in Criminal Justice, AIC Canberra, June, 1999.

Wilson, C. and Dunn, E. (1998). Factors identifiable from longitudinal child development studies in the prenatal and early childhood years (0-5) which lead to disadvantage in later life. Australia: Office for Families and Children.