The Transformative Power of Early Intervention: A Story of Change
Opinion Piece | Dr Dianne Jackson, CEO Key Assets Australia
Dr Dianne Jackson, CEO of Key Assets Australia and founding partner of Allies for Children discusses how Australia can better leverage its universal services like early childhood education, child and maternal health services, and community programs to deliver proactive early intervention for families.
Photography of Dr Dianne Jackson Chief Executive Officer of Key Assets Australia.
Years ago, as part of my PhD research, I listened to a young mother share her powerful story.
She was involved with child protection services, and her daughter was at risk of entering out-of-home care. But that didn’t happen. Why? Because in her small community, government and non-government agencies worked together to create an architecture and social fabric to wrap around their very young parents.
She said, “I wouldn’t have any friends with babies if it wasn’t for this group... It saved Sara’s* life. If I hadn’t gotten involved with other parents and children, Sara would have been fostered out, which I would’ve hated. This group saved us.”
What may have looked like a simple playgroup on the surface was actually a sophisticated, community-based intervention. Early childhood, child and maternal health, housing, and social work professionals came together to provide wrap-around services. These professionals addressed both the parents’ and children’s needs through a dual-focused approach, helping families like this one thrive.
This story reflects the transformative power of early intervention. It’s one of many I’ve heard over the years, showing the impact of initiatives like this across the country. But we could do more and we could do it in a much more systemic way that moves us from reactive to preventative measures.
Australia has an opportunity to better leverage its universal services like early childhood education, child and maternal health services, and community programs to deliver proactive support in non-stigmatising environments, informed by the communities themselves.
The evidence is very clear: effective early intervention reduces both social and financial costs. Investing in early intervention and using the systems we already have more effectively would enable us to create the “villages” every child and family needs. We must do more to ensure positive outcomes for all, not just some.
* Name changed to protect identity.