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The Effects Of Early Intervention On Children

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Early intervention is a process which involves stepping into a child’s life as soon as possible to tackle problems. ‘Early’ does not necessarily mean at an early age but in this case it refers more to the stage in the development of a child’s problems. Early intervention is important as the earlier a problem is identified; the more likely it is that the problem can be corrected before serious consequences arise, sometimes resulting in a child’s death (Mahoney 2007, p-3). Bracknell Forest Council (2012) explained early intervention as “referring to a way of working which will ensure that children, young people and families who are at risk or vulnerable to poor outcomes are identified early and that those needs are effectively assessed and met by agencies working together. The aim being to prevent their escalation rather than to respond only when the difficulty has become so acute as to demand attention”. The Munro Review (2011) states three main arguments for the importance of early intervention. Firstly, the importance of minimising adverse experiences for children, secondly, the ‘now or never’ approach which sheds light on just how difficult it is to reverse the damage caused to a child’s development and thirdly, questioning whether is it cost-effective to intervene earlier. A Sure Start Childrens Centre study based on research in the USA showed that for every $1 spent on intervening early into a childs life, $7 were saved later on due to help being given to the child

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