In advance of tomorrow’s general election, more than 50 children’s organisations have called on the parties to give greater emphasis to early intervention programmes.
Prompt action designed to try and prevent the development of social problems involving children – could save the country close to £2 billion a year, the coalition of 54 charities and campaign groups claimed.
Signatories to the open letter include the NSPCC, Women’s Aid,, Barnardos and Action for Children.
They state:
“We spend almost £17 billion a year fixing social problems affecting children and young people. But it is not enough to plaster over the cracks. We need to stop them happening in the first place.”
Early intervention programmes would cut the number of children taken into care, they claim, as well as the numbers who get into trouble at school or develop mental health problems.
“We must support [children] from the earliest stage to nurture the skills they need to cope with life’s challenges and flourish. We must transform children’s lives before it is too late.”
Effective and focused intervention could cut the cost of early intervention by ten per cent over the next five years, the letter declares.
The coalition’s call was coordinated by charity the Early Intervention Foundation.
Read the letter here.
“We must support [children] from the earliest stage to nurture the skills they need to cope with life’s challenges and flourish. We must transform children’s lives before it is too late.”
Is this to be addressed holistically or as currently with limited investigations and evaluations which in certain Council authorities predetermine the outcome and knowingly destroy the children’s best interests based on irresponsible actions. It is good that the current President of the Justices to the Family Court know better and will set a precedent to redirect those who quite naturally will wish to change the law to make parental responsibility just that a parental right, insuperably.