Early intervention
Estimates suggest that up to 1 million children are
at risk of being trapped in the same cycles of deprivation and
neglect as their parents.
These cycles can be broken if families, and particularly children,
are supported early enough by the right services. We need to
re-direct resources and invest in early intervention if families
are to be free of deprivation's damaging effects.
Families become caught in the cycle of deprivation for a range of
reasons, but once trapped they are at risk from harmful situations
and behaviours such as violence, drug or alcohol misuse, mental
ill-health and child neglect. Where multiple risk factors exist,
deprivation is more likely to be passed from generation to
generation. But this can be prevented by targeting and challenging
interventions at the earliest possible stage.
How are we promoting early intervention?
We are working with politicians and decision-makers across the
UK to make the case for investing in early intervention. From our
Backing the Future report (2009), we showed that intervening as
early as possible when children, young people and families face
difficulties is highly effective and can save the economy billions
of pounds.
Nearly 600 candidates signed our early intervention pledge during
the General Election and new MPs visited our services in 25 key
constituencies. Following this, forty five MPs (including Ministers
from the Cabinet Office, Education and Home Office) attended our
parliamentary event, The Smart Money, in June 2010 to learn about
the benefits of early intervention for vulnerable children in their
constituencies.
At the end of July 2010 Action for Children wrote to the
Chancellor with our submission to the Comprehensive Spending
Review, and this was backed up by emails from supporters across the
country, urging the government to see the economic sense in early
intervention at this time of budget cuts and belt tightening.
Further information