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Early Intervention and Prevention

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Definition

“Early childhood intervention is defined as the provisions or mobilisation of supports and resources to families of young children from informal and formal social network members that directly or indirectly influence and improve parent, family, and child behaviour and functioning in ways having capacity-building consequences” (Sukkar, Dunst, & Kirkby, 2017, p. 37).

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History of Early Intervention and Prevention

1893- Act for the Prevention of Cruelty to and Better Protection of Children (Children’s Protection Act)

1893- Ottawa-Carleton, Toronto, and Peterborough were the first three established children’s aid societies in Ontario

1975- Child Welfare Act

1989- Convention of the Rights of the Child

1991- The Government of Canada ratified the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC)

Today- Peer Inclusion Resource Services (PIRS), EarlyON, Erin Oak Kids, Child and Family Services, Healthy Babies Healthy Children Program

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1893- Act for the Prevention of Cruelty to and Better Protection of Children

Created by a woman by the name Lady Ritchie
“The Act permitted the creation of semi-public organizations, namely the Children’s Aid Societies, to legally care for neglected children” (The History of Child Welfare in Canada, n.d).
“The CAS was allowed to manage and supervise children and collect monies from municipalities” (The History of Child Welfare in Canada, n.d).
“In addition, the Act authorized the transfer of guardianship from parents to a CAS” (The History of Child Welfare in Canada, n.d).

In 1893 it was common to see children, roaming the streets, sleeping in doorways, and sleeping on the streets (The History of Child Welfare in Canada, n.d). Unfortunately this was the norm for many children who had no place to go and were either abandoned by families or set out to the streets because their caregivers were abusive. When this was happening, a call to action was made by a woman named Lady Ritchie who pushed for the act of Prevention of Cruelty to and Better Protection of Children (The History of Child Welfare in Canada, n.d). This act allowed for Children’s Aid Societies (CAS) to take legal responsibility for a child who had been neglected, allow for money to be collected from municipalities, and allowed for the CAS to obtain guardianship from parents (The History of Child Welfare in Canada, n.d).

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1893- Ottawa-Carleton, Toronto, and Peterborough were the first three established children’s aid societies in Ontario

“The Children's Protection Act laid the foundation for child welfare and in December of 1893, the Ottawa-Carleton CAS was formed, joining Toronto and Peterborough as the first three children's aid societies in Ontario” (Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa, 2020).
The children’s aid society of Ontario (CASO) implemented care for children, free foster homes, and brought children to their rightful homes (CITATION)They also informed adoption of children who were not eligible to go elsewhere (Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa, 2020).

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1975- Child Welfare Act

“Government, through the Child Welfare Act of 1975, assumed a greater responsibility. More exacting standards were imposed and municipal representatives took a larger role in the day-to-day operation of the CAS” (Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa, 2020).

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1989- Convention of the Rights of the Child

The Convention of the Rights of the Child was implemented because:

“Children were long treated as an object of law – as being without capacity and in need of protection – and were given no rights” (Noël, 2015)

As a result of the CRC:

“Today, the child is recognized as a full person, whose capacity is developing and the child is recognized as having rights of his or her own” (Noël, 2015)
“Children are now true subjects of law, but deserve special protection because of their particular vulnerability” (Noël, 2015)

In 1989, the Convention of the Rights of the Child was adopted by the, “United Nations General Assembly” (Noël, 2015). From there, 193 State Parties signed to rectify the Convention of the Rights of the Child (Noël, 2015). Prior to the CRC being recognized children were not treated as equals but rather treated as less than when compared to an adult. Children were viewed as burdens and were not given the proper rights deserved to them. Throughout history, children were seen neglected, abused, and being deemed useless which is why the CRC was created in the first place. As seen in the information from the slide, children today are now given proper rights and deemed to need special protection because of their “particular vulnerability” (Noël, 2015). If it weren’t for the CRC, children may not have the rights that we see today.

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1991- The Government of Canada ratified the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC)

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Today...

Here are some early intervention and prevention services that are offered to families in Ontario:

Peer Inclusion Resource Services (PIRS)
EarlyON
Erin Oak Kids
Child and Family Services
Healthy Babies Healthy Children Program.
Ontario Infant Hearing Program
Ontario Autism Program
Blind-low vision intervention Program
Preschool Speech and Language

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(Sukkar, Dunst & Kirkby, 2018, p. 5).

Current Context

Intervening early can:

Reduce effects
Provide foundation
Strengthen skills
Enhance wellbeing
Empower
Increase competence and confidence

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Trends

93 million children with disabilities worldwide (UNICEF, 2020).
From a 2006 Statistics Canada census:

69.8% children (aged 0-4) → chronic health condition-related disability (Statistics Canada, 2007).
121,080 children (aged 5 to 14) → learning disability (Statistics Canada, 2007).
44.8% children (aged 5-14) → speech disability

1,393,531 children completed EDIs

UNICEF reports there being at least 93 million children worldwide that have a disability or special need (UNICEF, 2020).

“69.8% of children aged 0 to 4 with one or more disabilities had a chronic health condition-related disability” (Statistics Canada, 2007) such as “asthma or severe allergies, attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity (Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and autism” (Statistics Canada, 2007).

Among school-aged children (aged 5 to 14) “121,080” had a learning disability (Statistics Canada, 2007).

“44.8% of children aged 5 to 14 with one or more disabilities reported a speech disability, making it the third most prevalent disability among this age group. This means that about 78,240 Canadian school-age children experienced a speech disability.” (Statistics Canada, 2007).

As of 2020, 1,393,531 five-year-old children have completed EDIs in Canada since 2004 (EDI, 2020).

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Challenges

Effects:

Families
Emotions
Relationships

Professionals not adequately trained
Service systems not always attuned and responsive

Some of the challenges faced by families regarding early intervention and prevention include:

The effects on families:

Emotions

“The birth of a child with a disability or a special needs has been found to impose financial, social and physical stress on parents and caregivers, which may include and increase in depression, anger, shock, denial, self-blame and guilt for the family members” (Sukkar, Dunst & Kirkby, 2018, p. 4).

Relationships

“There can be a profound effect on family relationships, including partners’ relationships. While some relationships may deepen and increase in strength, others may not survive the pressures of rearing a child with a disability” (Sukkar, Dunst & Kirkby, 2018, p. 4).

Professionals not being adequately trained

There have been "negative reports from parents about [Health Visitors], such as them not being sufficiently well trained about children with complex needs, being dismissive of parents concerns and not referring a child to a [Speech and Language Therapist], despite children's scores on developmental checks being recorded as low" (Sukkar, Dunst & Kirkby, 2018, p.230). Due to"professionals working in the mainstream early childhood setting" (Sukkar, Dunst & Kirkby, 2018, p.233) not being adequately trained. Although they require "training for augmentative communication approaches" (Sukkar, Dunst & Kirkby, 2018, p.233-234), it also needs "to be better embedded within the setting and activities provided for children with complex SLCN could be more closely matched to their developmental needs" (Sukkar, Dunst & Kirkby, 2018, p.234).

Service systems not always attuned and responsive

Families have reported “that service systems are not always attuned and responsive” (Sukkar, Dunst & Kirkby, 2018, p. 4) to their needs. Parents are often the ones that “initiate the process that results in the diagnosis of their child’s disability” (Sukkar, Dunst & Kirkby, 2018, p. 4).

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Policies!

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Policy #1- Prevention and Early Intervention Framework for Children, Youth and Families

This framework is based in Alberta and was created by Alberta’s government.

Purpose of this framework:

“an Alberta where children and youth are valued, nurtured, and loved. They will develop to their potential supported by enduring relationships, healthy families, and safe communities” (Prevention and Early Intervention Framework for Children, Youth and Families, 2012, p. 1)
“work to break the cycle of family violence, abuse and poverty that prevent some children from becoming strong, sound individuals” (Prevention and Early Intervention Framework for Children, Youth and Families, 2012, p. 1)
“Implement a continuum of evidence-based prevention and early intervention services, including early childhood development and parenting programs that will effectively address the key drivers that cause children and youth to require crisis intervention services” (Prevention and Early Intervention Framework for Children, Youth and Families, 2012, p. 1)

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1. Primary Prevention:

- “Programs and services that provide families with the support that they need to build protective factors and prevent the development of risk factors” (Prevention and Early Intervention Framework for Children, Youth and Families, 2012, p. 7).

2. Early Intervention:

- “Involvement with families when vulnerabilities are first identified in order to strengthen protective factors and reduce the impact of risk factors”(Prevention and Early Intervention Framework for Children, Youth and Families, 2012, p. 7).

3. Intervention:

- “Targeted interventions after maltreatment has occured to reduce the negative consequences and to prevent its re occurance” (Prevention and Early Intervention Framework for Children, Youth and Families, 2012, p. 7).

Prevention and Early Intervention Framework for Children, Youth and Families continued...

Within this framework there are three levels of prevention:

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Prevention and Early Intervention Framework for Children, Youth and Families continued...

Family-centered
Proactive
Theory-Driven
Evidence-based
Comprehensive
Culturally Appropriate

Effective prevention and early intervention programs must be...

Any programs that are based off of this framework need to be all that you see above.

- The first one is family-centered which means that families are viewed as being central to a child’s well-being (Prevention and Early Intervention Framework for Children, Youth and Families, 2012, p. 8).

- The next one, proactive, focuses on the prevention of maltreatment and encourages programs to have social interaction, parental support, and an emphasis on enforcing positive behaviours within children (Prevention and Early Intervention Framework for Children, Youth and Families, 2012, p. 8).

- Theory- driven is described as, “Have a scientific justification or logical rationale” (Prevention and Early Intervention Framework for Children, Youth and Families, 2012, p. 8). This means that behind every program must have a strong theory that supports the activities being done within that program.

- Evidence- based means having, “evidence-based strategies for the prevention of child maltreatment” (Prevention and Early Intervention Framework for Children, Youth and Families, 2012, p. 8).

- Comprehensive includes manipulating settings to address a wide range of potential risks and protective factors within a child’s environment (Prevention and Early Intervention Framework for Children, Youth and Families, 2012, p. 8).

- Culturally Appropriate ensures that programs are, “Tailored to fit within cultural beliefs and practises of specific groups” (Prevention and Early Intervention Framework for Children, Youth and Families, 2012, p. 8).

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Policy #2- Early Intervention Policy - “Zero to Three Policy Center” Early Intervention Services

Promotes proper health, strong sense of family and community, and positive early learning experiences through the use of Early Intervention

https://www.zerotothree.org/policy-and-advocacy/early-intervention-policy

This policy from the Zero to Three Policy Centre in America states that “Healthy development isn’t always a clear path for infants and toddlers. Sometimes challenges weaken an infant’s growth. Medical conditions, trauma and negative experiences at home can delay a child’s development” (Zero to Three, pp. 2). Their policy recommendations include 1. The expansion and enhancement of EI in infants and toddlers to help their cognitive, language and social development 2. Permanent authorization and fully funded ‘Part C of the IDEA’ stating that funding should not be an issue for children who need the supports 3. The inclusion of at risk infants and toddlers to their EI programs in order to reduce the amount of children with unidentified delays. 4. The inclusion of cultural minorities or ethnically diverse children (Zero to Three).

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Policy #3- Child Care Policy - Special Needs Resourcing (SNR)

“Helps support the inclusion of children with special needs in licensed child care settings”

https://www.ontario.ca/page/child-care-subsidies

The Special Needs Resourcing government subsidy, “helps support the inclusion of children with special needs in licensed child care settings, in a premises where in-home services are provided, in a place where child and family programs are provided such as EarlyON Child and Family Centres, children's recreation programs, and camps at no additional cost to parents” (Ontario, 2019).

“The government provides funding to Consolidated Municipal Service Managers or District Social Services Administration Boards and First Nations for SNR. They then either directly hire persons providing SNR services and/or provide funding to agencies, to support the inclusion of children with special needs in licensed child care, child and family programs, children's recreation programs, and camps. Agencies use this funding to help pay for staff, equipment, supplies, and professional development activities” (Ontario, 2019).

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Early Interventions (EI) In Canada

Social policy in Canada: Focus shared responsibilities of EI between social services and educational centres
In Canada, early intervention includes policies, programs and services to promote healthy development
There are no agreed definition across provinces – availability varies across the country
Canada helps supports international and national well-being of children and families impacted by disabilities
Canada is a signatory to UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as well as International Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities

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Interventions in Canada

Legislation requires: publicly administered, not for profit, medically necessary services
“Medically Necessary” is decided at the provincial level
EI may be listed under health care, but legislation states that provinces have difference “medically necessary” services
Auton v. British Columbia, 2008
Community Action Program for Children - Federally funded

In Canada, federal legislation states that our health services must be 1. Publicly administered 2. Not-for-profit 3. Able to provide ‘medically necessary’ services across all provinces. However, ‘medically necessary’ services are determined at a provincial level, not federal (Underwood & Frankel, 2012). This means that EI services are listed under most health care, however the legislation states that all provinces are able to provide a list of services that they deem ‘medically necessary’.

This is shown in the case Auton v. British Columbia where funding for Intensive Behavioral Intervention and or Applied Behavior Analysis were denied by the province. The Supreme Court of Canada decided that those services were not considered an essential service under the Canada Health Act (Auton v. British Columbia, 2008).

“Although some provinces/territories will provide funds for certain interventions such as IBI/ABA, the lack of consistent early intervention services provided under the Canada Health Act results in children and families having variable entitlement to government-funded intervention depending on the jurisdiction in which they live” (Underwood & Frankel, 2012, p. 287). One of few federally funded EI services is the Community Action Program for Children. This provides funding to community programs that support healthy child development.

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Interventions in Canada

Lowest spending per capita on ECEC within the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development. Fewer services are available, therefore EI are harder to access.
EI services founded on the principle that “a developmental framework and family-centered orientation should guide service delivery” (citation 288)
Early identification services delivered through screening in individual provinces, no universal access. Screening and assessment tools vary.
Inclusion of disabilities in childcare used as EI since 1980’s
A B.C. policy of supported child care guarantees that all children with additional needs will receive extra support in childcare

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Interventions in Canada

Systems perspective of EI is mostly at provincial level
Provincial/ territorial EI are developing in local/regional communities, national approach has not been made
Funding policy context in Canada proves it is imperative have acceptable measures in place to guarantee children and families have equal access to support

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Interventions in Canada

“Across Canada, there is a social policy trend to link early-years services and educational services. This trend has created an interest in identifying family and child needs as soon as possible to match them to programs that will optimize early development” (Underwood & Frankel, 2012, p. 289).
Alberta, Newfoundland, & P.E.I public health nurses are piloting physical assessments and giving referrals
Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia testing screening strategies
B.C. & Ontario have fully funded universal hearing screening programs
Newfoundland and Labrador recommends evaluation processed with provincial early learning strategies

Across Canada, screening services and referral are given through ‘universal screen programs’. This includes postnatal home visits from professionals and distribution of standardized developmental screening tools (ASQ & NDDS). The NDDS is available at no cost to Ontarians while Alberta is taking its first steps to having ASQ ‘universally accessible’ (Underwood & Frankel, 2012, p. 290).

Alberta, Newfoundland and P.E.I are conducting physical assessments and giving referrals to children as they get vaccinated. In Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan they are testing their physical screening procedures for universal screening. At this time, Ontario and B.C. are the only provinces to have fully funded universal hearing screening programs, all other provinces only have screenings if there is immediate concern (Underwood & Frankel, 2012).

Social workers in Newfoundland and Labrador recommend evaluation processes be applied to the provincial early learning strategy. They also recommend primary discussions on how “programs will be accountable, and include a measure of community awareness programs for EI” (Underwood & Frankel, 2012, p. 294).

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Interventions in Canada

Nunavut has identified a lack of culturally appropriate screening tools.
Translated ASQ to Inuktitut and adapted it to fit their culture
Northwest Territories ‘Healthy Family Program’
Manitoba ‘Children’s Special Services’
Ontario “Best Start” program
B.C. had 52 EI programs, some support Aboriginal families
Yukon ‘The Child Development Centre’
Nunavut has begun to establish their own system of EI

Nunavut has shown that there was a lack of culturally appropriate screening tools for them. In response to this, they decided to change to ASQ to be culturally appropriate as well as changed the language from English to Inuktitut (Underwood & Frankel, 2012). The Northwest Territories has a Healthy Family Program that promotes positive parent-child relations and enhances family functioning for those who have received positive screening results (Underwood & Frankel, 2012).

In Manitoba, ‘Children’s Special Services’ offers EI services to families of children up to 18 years of age (Sukkar, Dunst, & Kirkby, 2017). In Ontario, there are multiple different infant and child development programs that support children and families impacted by developmental delays. In all areas of the province there are agencies that help with prevention, early identification, early intervention, and family support. The provincial government invested in their communities to build a “Best Start” program. The Best Start program links professionals to families in need of interventions to guarantee a strategic approach to EI (Underwood & Frankel, 2012).

In B.C., there are multiple different EI programs to help supposed children and families, some of which are catered to Aboriginal children and their families. There are 52 different service agencies in B.C (Sukkar, Dunst, & Kirkby, 2017), In the Yukon, there is one service available for developmental or physical delays. The Child Development Centre coordinated EI through all communities in the territory. Along with their adaptations to ASQ, Nunavut has begun to establish their own EI services, however these are only readily available to those with significant areas of delay (Underwood & Frankel, 2012).

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Interventions in Canada

Early Development Instrument (EDI)
Tool used to gather information by teachers
Allows evaluation of school readiness
Used in every province

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Interventions in Canada

“Despite the lack of a national strategy for child care, early intervention, and educational objectives, each province is developing systemic approaches to support the optimal development of children and their families. A dialogue between provincial, territorial, and federal governments could ensure stable funding, legislation for equitable access, and coordination for consistency in services across provinces and territories” (Underwood & Frankel, 2012, p. 294).

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International Policies!

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Overview of International Questionnaire

Participating countries: Chile, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, Poland, the Russian Federation, and the United States
Questionnaire collected basic information about the policy context of ECE and EI
Each country had policies that aimed to support children’s development and EI for language or special needs
Emphasis on which policy is most important differs between countries (social, economic, educational, and political demands each effect ECE and EI
PPE is Pre Primary Education (children 3 years and older)
ECED is Early Childhood Education and Development (children under 3 years)

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Interventions in England & Denmark

Government published the National Service Framework for child health and maternity services in 2004
The UK states that ‘high quality interventions can advance child development and education in the early years’ (Bertram & Pascal, 2016, p. 21) and has taken action to further implement their policies
In Denmark, all ECED and PPE services are fully publically funded
Denmark offers targeted intervention programs as well as universal access to services

In 2004 The Government of the United Kingdom issued the National Service Framework for child health and maternity services (Halfon, Russ, Oberklaid, Bertrand, Eisenstadt, 2009). This framework set governmental standards for care in the health sector intended to incorporate well-being with wider system alterations to surmount service fragmentation, insufficient consultation, and the absence of responsibility for results and to increase preventive and early intervention services (Halfon et al., 2009). The government of the United Kingdom has “found that high quality ECE programs do have the capacity to significantly improve child health and educational outcomes for disadvantaged children, in both cognitive and non-cognitive domains” (Bertram & Pascal, 2016, p. 21). In Denmark, they offer specialized targeted intervention programs as well as universal access to services. Families of children with special needs or children whose first language is not Danish are encouraged to attend intervention services (CITATION).

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Interventions in The Czech Republic & Poland

In the Czech Republic, EI services implemented at PPE level only.
Czech Republic has a wide variety of policy aims
Funding the Czech Republic & Poland : publicly, privately, mixture of public and private
2 types of Polish kindergartens - typically developing and special needs
No stated policy aims for Polish children under 3 years old
Multiple policy aims for Polish children over the age of 3 years old
No EI programs supporting less advantaged children and families

In the Czech Republic, early intervention services are only implemented at the PPE level. There is no intervention services for children under the age of 3 (Bertram & Pascal, 2016). The Czech Republic policy aims include the “preparation of children for school and for citizenship, to support children with special needs, to safeguard vulnerable children, to reduce inequality and social disadvantage, and to support children when home and national language are different” (Bertram & Pascal, 2016, p. 143). In Poland, there are two types of Kindergartens. The first is a centre for typically developing children, and another centre for children with disabilities. The latter provides interventions for all students. In both the Czech Republic and Poland, the services can be publicly funded, privately funded, or a mixture of both. In poland, there are full and part time centres for children with diverse needs from ages 3-7 (Bertram & Pascal, 2016). Although Poland has many policy aims for intervention services for children above the age of three, they have no stated policy aims for its support/ intervention programs for children under the age of 3 (Bertram & Pascal, 2016). There are no reported early intervention programs to support less advantaged children and their families.

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Interventions in Estonia and Chile

In Estonia all ECED and PPE services are fully publically funded
Estonia targets low-income families, special needs children, ESL, and ethnic minorities
Estonia has multiple policy aims for EI support systems
Chile and Estonia both have targeted intervention programs
“Chile Grows With You” EI program implemented to target low-income families
In Chile, publicly, privately, mixture of public and private funding
Chile does not have policies to target children with special needs for ECED

“In Estonia, there is a particular focus on early intervention for children whose home language differs from the national language. It is reported that, in 50% of ECE settings, specialist professional staff are provided to support the targeted groups with speech and language therapists and “special” pedagogues. If progress cannot be made with the child’s language development, the preschools and parents can access additional advice from regional centers offering a wider range of specialist support (Bertram & Pascal, 2016, p. 79). Estonian policy aims include the “preparation of children for school and for citizenship, supporting children with special needs, safeguarding vulnerable children” (Bertram & Pascal, 2016, p. 149). All ECED and PPE services in Estonia are publicly funded, however in Chile there is publically, privately, and a mixture of both funded services. In Chile there are EI services for children over the age of 3, but no services for the ECED level (Bertram & Pascal, 2016).

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Interventions in Italy and The Russian Federation

Italy’s service for children 3 months to 3 years includes educational interventions
Italy does not have targeted intervention programs
Italy has a limited set of policy aims for PPE
Examples: preparation for school transition, support for children with special needs, safeguarding vulnerable children
Funding Italy and the Russian Federation : publicly, privately, mixture of public and private
The Russian Federation has targeted intervention programs
The Russian Federation has a wide range of policy aims for ECE services

Italian services for children 3 months to 3 years of age offer in home and in centre services for educational interventions. These interventions are run by qualified staff members. In Italy and the Russian Federation, EI settings can be fully publicly funded, fully privately funded, or receive a mixture of public and private funding (Bertram & Pascal, 2016). Italy’s limited policy aims focus on “supporting parental employment, supporting parental work/life balance, and remediating special needs” (Bertram & Pascal, 2016. p. 153). The Russian Federation has targeted services to support groups with special needs and disabilities. Some of these settings are family based and others are child based (Bertram & Pascal, 2016).The Russian Federation has a large amount of policies pertaining to the balance of child care and early education priorities, focusing on special needs, disabilities, and disadvantaged children (Bertram & Pascal, 2016).

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Interventions in the United States

U.S. EI funding: public, private, and mixture of the two
U.S. has targeted intervention programs focusing on low income families and children with special needs
EI resources available to support culturally diverse communities
U.S. has many policy aims for ECE services including enhancement of socioemotional skills etc.

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The Basics in Prevention: Essentials for Childhood Framework

Goal is to create safe relationships and environments for children to grow, including preventing abuse and neglect.
Breaks down the main forms of abuse that leads to mental health concerns: Sexual, Physical, Emotional and Neglect
Using evidence based approaches towards policy and program making
Base of Early Head Start and Incredible Years programs

https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/essentials-for-childhood-framework508.pdf

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Impacts Of Early Intervention and Prevention

Provides long term support and results for members within the society starting at a young age.
Early intervention has shown to improve children’s academic achievement, behaviour and attainment (Karoly, L. Kilburn, R. & Cannon, J. 2005).
Provides parents with the tools and knowledge needed to support their children and family.
Encourages the educators and families to work together.

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Economic Impacts

The more money invested into these programs, the more return is seen long term.

For example, these services can prevent the need for spending for grade repetition. Furthermore, improving school performance increases the likelihood of participating in the workforce, thus impacting the need for spending in the criminal justice system

“Well-designed early childhood interventions have been found to generate a return to society ranging from $1.80 to $17.07 for each dollar spent on the program (Karoly, L. Kilburn, R. & Cannon, J. 2005).”

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Link to ECE

Educators play a key role in early interventions and prevention
Educators must be knowledgeable about identifying risk factors and early signs
Educators must work with families to identify concerns implement prevention/ intervention supports
Must be knowledgeable about supports and resources for families

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Link to ECE Cont..

Respect families diversity
Keep record of any changes about the child needs and concerns overtime
Communication skills important, as early interventions and prevention are part of effective family centered practice
Adequate training is needed to spot delays in children otherwise educators won’t be able to spot developmental delays fast enough. Therefore, being knowledgeable of early intervention and prevention practises is a must!

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Discussion Questions

Do you believe Canada’s approach to early intervention should be altered to include components of other countries EI?
Should Canada as a whole have the same approach to EI, or should each province continue to use their own methods?
What is your opinion of early intervention and prevention practises and how do you think they can contribute to your role as an ECE?

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References

Auton v. British Columbia, PRB 05-19E. (2008). Supreme Court of Canada. Retrieved from the Parliament of Canada website: http://www.parl. gc.ca/Content/LOP/ResearchPublications/prb0519- e.htm

Bertram, T., Pascal, C. (2016). Early childhood policies and systems in eight countries. Findings from IEA’s early childhood education study. International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement: Springer.

Canadian Child Welfare Research Portal. (2018). Retrieved from https://cwrp.ca/ontario-statistics

Children’s Aid Society of Ontario. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.casott.on.ca/en/about-us/history/

EDI. (2020). EDI. Retrieved from https://edi.offordcentre.com/

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References

Halfon, N., Russ, S., Oberklaid, F., Bertrand, J., Eisenstadt, N. (2009). An international comparison of early childhood initiatives: From services to systems. The Commonwealth Fund. Retrieved from: https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2009/may/international-c omparison-early-childhood-initiatives-services

Karoly, L. Kilburn, R. & Cannon, J. (2005). Proven Benefits of Early Childhood Interventions. Retreived from https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9145.html

Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario. (2018). Learning Disabilities Statistics. Retrieved from

http://www.ldao.ca/introduction-to-ldsadhd/articles/about-lds/learning-disabilities-statistics/

Noël, J.-F. (2015). The Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved from https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/fl-lf/divorce/crc-crde/conv2a.html

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References

Ontario. (2019). Financial Support for Child Care. Retrieved from https://www.ontario.ca/page/child-care-subsidies

Statistics Canada. (2007). Profile of disability for children. Retrieved from

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-628-x/2007002/4125020-eng.htm

Sukkar, H., Dunst, C. J., & Kirkby, J. (Eds.). (2017). Evolving families. Early childhood intervention: Working with

families of young children with special needs. Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.

The History of Child Welfare in Canada. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://untilthelastchild.com/the-history-of-child-welfare-in-canada/

Underwood, K., & Frankel, E. (2012). The developmental systems approach to early intervention in Canada. Infants & Young Children, 25(4), 286-296. doi: 10.1097/IYC.0b013e3182673dfc. UNICEF. (2020). Disabilities. Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/disabilities/