The Politics of Preventionand Early (Years) Intervention:

Why is acting early so hard?

annehollonds@gmail.comTwitter: @AnneHollonds

The Politics of Preventionand Early (Years) Intervention:

Why is acting early so hard?

annehollonds@gmail.comTwitter: @AnneHollonds

“Head Start” “Sure Start” “Better Start”“Early Start” “Equal Start” “Good Start”

………Where to start?

“prevention is about preventing aproblem before it occurs

early intervention is aboutresponding to the first signs of aproblem”

“prevention is about preventing aproblem before it occurs

early intervention is aboutresponding to the first signs of aproblem”

ARACY

1. Where to start? The politics and the policies

2. Integration – contradictions andopportunities

3. Building a system with childrenat the centre.

1. Where to start? The politics and the policies

2. Integration – contradictions andopportunities

3. Building a system with childrenat the centre.

What Hockey is going on about…

25

30

35

40

25

30

35

40millionmillion

Working age population (15-64)

Child population (0-14)

Aged population (65 and over)

Total Population

Employed Persons

Age Pensioners

Projection

0

5

10

15

20

0

5

10

15

20

1978-79 1988-89 1998-99 2008-09 2018-19 2028-29 2038-39 2048-49

Source: 2010 Intergenerational report

2012-13

• $3.2b on child protection

• $664m on prevention or early intervention

• 7.5% pa increase in child protection costssince 2007

The Forrest Review 2014

• $3.2b on child protection

• $664m on prevention or early intervention

• 7.5% pa increase in child protection costssince 2007

The Forrest Review 2014

Productivity Commission Report on Childcareand Early Learning

‘Sensitive periods’ in earlybrain development

Binocular vision

High

Habitual ways of respondingLanguage

Emotional controlSymbol

Peer social skillsRelative quantity

Central auditory system

0 1 2 3 7654Low

Years

Centre forCommunityChild Health:

Collaboratefor Children

Centre forCommunityChild Health:

Collaboratefor Children

2. Integration – contradictions andopportunities

Feeding Families at Forbes Children’ sCentre SA

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

School Readiness

Australian Early Development Census (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 / Indigenouschildren 43%)

• 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 / Indigenouschildren 43%)

400

600

800

1000N

umer

acy

NAP

LAN

scor

e

Vulnerable student

Non-vulnerablestudent

Telethon Kids Institute 2015

0

200

Year 3 Year 5 Year 7 Year 9

Num

erac

y N

APLA

N sc

ore

Non-vulnerablestudent

Indigenous Affairs priorities of theAustralian Government:

• Getting children to school• Getting adults to work• Building safer Indigenous communities

• Getting children to school• Getting adults to work• Building safer Indigenous communities

Multi-generational approach

Early InterventionFoundation UK

2015

“A focus on supporting parents reinforces …..that early intervention and prevention is aboutempowering parents, not State interference infamily life”.

UK Early Intervention Foundation 2015

“A focus on supporting parents reinforces …..that early intervention and prevention is aboutempowering parents, not State interference infamily life”.

UK Early Intervention Foundation 2015

3 Domains of Parental Wellbeing

Executive functionMental healthEconomic security

3 Domains of Parental Wellbeing

Executive functionMental healthEconomic security

Shonkoff and Fisher 2013

Infant mortality 20131.8 per 1000 births

Baby Basket:Cape York 2014

$874 per person

Baby Basket:Cape York 2014

$874 per person

Finland’s Maternity Package 2014

3. Building a system with children atthe centre

“Improvingchildren’slater lifeoutcomes”

UCL Instituteof Health Equity

2013

“Improvingchildren’slater lifeoutcomes”

UCL Instituteof Health Equity

2013

System Elements

• National Outcomes Framework• Integrated evidence-informed policy• Inter-professional practice and progressive

universalism platforms• Enablers: Implementation support, outcomes

measurement, data linkage• Evidence-informed interventions: children,

parents, family relationships.

• National Outcomes Framework• Integrated evidence-informed policy• Inter-professional practice and progressive

universalism platforms• Enablers: Implementation support, outcomes

measurement, data linkage• Evidence-informed interventions: children,

parents, family relationships.

We need…..

• Longer term planning – 10 and 20 year plans

• Investment in prevention and early yearsintervention

• Transition plans from late reactionexpenditure to investment much earlier

• Longer term planning – 10 and 20 year plans

• Investment in prevention and early yearsintervention

• Transition plans from late reactionexpenditure to investment much earlier

annehollonds@gmail.comTwitter @AnneHollonds

DV video

Talking Families Qld 45 sec ad

Toosmalltofail.com

NET Important

88

91

89

88

88

Support for Investment in Early Action

57%

59%

58%

60%

58%

32%

32%

31%

28%

90%

7%

6%

7%

4%

8%

2%

2%

2%

7%

2%

3%

2%

2%

1%

2%

Total

Blue Collar

White Collar

<$20K

$20K- $39K

Very Important Quite Important Not Very Important Not at all Important Not sure

88

89

90

91

91

Q1. Overall, how important do you feel it is for Governments to invest more in acting early to support familieswith 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 43

58%

89%

60%

58%

53%

90%

30%

30%

33%

38%

8%

9%

7%

8%

2%

2%

2%

1%

1%

3%

2%

1%

2%

5%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

$20K- $39K

$40K- $59K

$60K- $99K

$100K- $149K

$150K+

Murdoch Children’s Research Institute

The enduring legacy of the EarlyYears

BetterStart 5x5

5 dimensions of healthy development:1. Physical2. Language3. Attachment4. Social emotional5. Cognitive

5 stages of healthy development:1. Pregnancy2. Post-natal3. Infancy4. Toddlerhood5. Early childhood

5 dimensions of healthy development:1. Physical2. Language3. Attachment4. Social emotional5. Cognitive

5 stages of healthy development:1. Pregnancy2. Post-natal3. Infancy4. Toddlerhood5. Early childhood

Benefits of prevention and early intervention

benevolent.org.au

•

The enduring legacy of the EarlyYears

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lANkrXcEjMc&feature=em-

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lANkrXcEjMc&feature=em-

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Perinatal deaths 1975–2012Source: THL, Nordic perinatal statistics

Maternal mortality

1. Where to start? The politics and thepolicies

What do we know?What do we have?What can we do with what we have?

1. Where to start? The politics and thepolicies

What do we know?What do we have?What can we do with what we have?