Creating Pathways to Participation: A Community-Based Developmental Prevention Project in Australia

Abstract

Pathways to Prevention is a developmental prevention projectfocused on the transition to school in a disadvantaged multiculturalurban area in Queensland. The project incorporates two elements:The Preschool Intervention Program (PIP) promotes communicationand social skills related to school success; and the Family IndependenceProgram (FIP) (parent training, facilitated playgroups,support groups, etc) promotes family capacity to foster child development.Using a quasi-experimental design (N=597), improvementsin boys’ but not girls’ behaviours over the preschool year were found.FIP reached more than a quarter of the target population, includingmany difficult-to-reach families experiencing high stress. Casestudies and other qualitative data suggest positive outcomes.