Building Integrated Connections for Children, their Families and Communities

Abstract

This publication brings together a range of policy makers, researchers and practitioners including contributors from a number of federal Communities for Children initiatives, state Children's Centres and the Australian Centre for Child Protection. It has a focus on developing effective integrated, place-based support for children, their families and communities. In part one we look at some of the key foundations that underpin effective integrated support. We begin with some of the latest research findings in the field of neuroscience which have had a major impact on policy and service delivery in recent years. This is followed by recent ethnographic research that has led to the development of an innovative family support model by the Australian Centre for Social Innovation. It is a family mentoring model that has been co-designed and co-produced in genuine partnership with families. A look at the principles of community development in supporting families and children is followed by some new research into the effectiveness of child and family hubs. Centres such as these really function as communities, as the title of the following chapter on developing integrated child and family communities suggests. We then look at a vision for integrated early childhood service delivery and the kind of training that is needed to optimise outcomes for families. In part two we look at a broad range of promising implementation strategies that are being developed in the field. We conclude by looking at some key areas identified by researchers and practitioners for future policy and practice development. It is our hope that this publication will make a worthwhile contribution to improved provision of effective integrated and holistic support for children and their families.