Prevention
and Early (Years) Intervention
How can we build a system with
children at the centre?
annehollonds@gmail.com
“
Head Start” “Sure Start” “Better Start”
“Early Start” “Equal Start” “Good Start”
………Where to start?
“prevention is about preventing a
problem before it occurs
early intervention
is about
responding to the first signs of a
problem”
1. Where to start? The politics and the policies
2. Integration – contradictions and
opportunities
3. Building a system with children
at the centre.
1. Where to start? The politics and the
policies
What do we know?
What do we have?
2012-13
• $3.2b on child protection
• $664m on prevention or early intervention
• 7.5% pa increase in child protection costs
since 2007
What Hockey is going on about…
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 400
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
1978-79
1988-89
1998-99
2008-09
2018-19
2028-29
2038-39
2048-49
million millionWorking age population (15-64) Child population (0-14)
Aged population (65 and over) Total Population
Employed Persons Age Pensioners
Projection
Productivity Commission Report on Childcare
‘
Sensitive periods’ in early
brain development
Binocular vision
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
High
Low
Years
Habitual ways of responding
Language
Emotional control
Symbol
Peer social skills
Relative quantity
Central auditory system
Centre for
Community
Child Health:
Collaborate
for Children
NET Important 88 91 89 88 88 89 90 91 91
Q1. Overall, how important do you feel it is for Governments to invest more in acting early to support families with young children as a way to help prevent problems and save money in the long term?
Base: All respondents (n=1000)
The Benevolent Society 2013
Support for
Investment in Early Action
22 57% 59% 58% 60% 58% 89% 60% 58% 53% 32% 32% 31% 28% 90% 30% 30% 33% 38% 7% 6% 7% 4% 8% 9% 7% 8% 2% 2% 2% 2% 7% 2% 2% 1% 1% 3% 3% 2% 2% 1% 2% 1% 2% 5% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Total Blue Collar White Collar <$20K $20K- $39K $40K- $59K $60K- $99K $100K- $149K $150K+
2. Integration – contradictions and
opportunities
Feeding Families at Forbes Children’ s
Centre SA
“ I come here to make friends…”
Mother of 2 preschool-age children
Acacia Ridge Early Years Centre –
Figure 4: A child centred approach for social system support of the Five by Five.
Adapted from the UCL Institute of Health Equity report “An Equal Start: improving outcomes in Children’s
Centres”.
BetterStart 2014
Infant mortality 2013
Australian Early Development Index (AEDC)
• Physical health and wellbeing
• Social competence
• Emotional maturity
• Language and cognitive skills
• Communication skills and general knowledge
2012: 22% vulnerable in one or more domains
(indigenous children 43%)
Telethon Kids Institute 2015
0
200
400
600
800
1000
Year 3
Year 5
Year 7
Year 9
Numer
acy
NAPLA
N sc
or
e
Vulnerable student
Non-vulnerable
student
Early Intervention
Foundation UK
2015
“A focus on supporting parents reinforces …..
that early intervention and prevention is about
empowering parents, not State interference in
family life”.
3 Domains of Parental Wellbeing
Executive function
Mental health
Economic security
Baby Basket:
Cape York 2014
3. Building a system with children at
the centre
“Improving
children’s
later life
outcomes”
UCL Institute
of Health Equity
2013
System Elements
• National Outcomes Framework
• Integration of policy
• Interprofessional practice, progressive
universalism platform and community
engagement
• Enablers: Implementation support, outcomes
measurement, data linkage
• Evidence-informed interventions: children,
annehollonds@gmail.com
Families are identified as needing additional help at early stage, and promptly receive effective, targeted and preventative early intervention services
Parental mental health Parental physical health Good aspirations, literacy and numeracy Good knowledge of child developme nt Developing secure attachment Providing a stimulating home learning environme nt Responsive, positive parenting style Employment and income Home and living conditions Relationship between parents Networks of support Community safety Local amenities and assets Cognitive development Communication and language development Physical development Social and emotional development
Safe and nurturing environment Children are prepared and ready
for school
Children are healthy and well, emotionally and physically
Children are safe and protected from harm The mos t import an t driv er s of goo d out comes Con te xt in which familie s exis t Par en tal w ellbe ing , belie fs, capabilitie s and beha vio ur s Childr en’ s hea lth and de velopme n t 0 -5 shar ed out com es La ter lif e out comes Resistance to disease and long-term conditions Good physical health Good mental health Reaching academic potential Increased skills and qualificatio ns Securing quality jobs with higher wages Positive behaviour and relationship s Bet ter futur e par en ts for the ne xt g ene ra tion
Young mum talking
•
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kosxYBjS
DmY&spfreload=10
Dad talking
•
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZIgyY8Z
qKM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lANk
rXcEjMc&feature=em-share_video_user
The enduring legacy of the Early
Years
BetterStart 5x5
5 dimensions of healthy development:
1. Physical
2. Language
3. Attachment
4. Social emotional
5. Cognitive
5 stages of healthy development:
1. Pregnancy
2. Post-natal
3. Infancy
4. Toddlerhood
5. Early childhood
Benefits of prevention and early intervention
The enduring legacy of the Early
Years
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Preschool Education Australia 2013, cat. no.
4240.0, ABS, Canberra, 2014. Excludes children enrolled in more than one
Perinatal deaths 1975–2012
Binning kids and Children’s Ground
Binning kids and Children’s Ground participants playing at the pool in Jabiru, NT. Photograph: Jason Malouin/OxfamAUS.
What Hockey is going on about…
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 400
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
1978-79
1988-89
1998-99
2008-09
2018-19
2028-29
2038-39
2048-49
million millionWorking age population (15-64) Child population (0-14)
Aged population (65 and over) Total Population
Employed Persons Age Pensioners
Projection
