The 'A good beginning report': Implications for Australia

Abstract

Social and emotional competence develops through the children's first years of life and the relationships they develop with their families and others around them. Research (Hutchins & Sims, 1999) has clearly demonstrated the benefits associated with strong parent-child relationships and we now know that strong relationships with other carers involved in children's lives also have a major impact on their outcomes. Social competence refers to a person's ability to get along with other people. Children's social competence is affected by how well they communicate with other children and with adults' (Illinois Early Learning, 2008). In recognition of this, the Child Mental Health Foundations and Agencies Network in Chicago commissioned a paper - the 'A good beginning report' - aimed at closing the gap between research and policy: reviewing the evidence and making recommendations as to the appropriate interventions (Peth-Pierce, 2008).