First 1001 Critical Days Outcome All Tasmanian children grow up in a safe, supportive and loving environment Why is this a priority? Most parents have the capacity to raise their children to be healthy, active adults. However, some parents need additional help and support from the wider community and from government support services to make this happen. An unsafe, traumatic home environment has detrimental impacts on a child’s ability to control emotions, focus on tasks and form healthy relationships: “stressful experiences … alter children’s neurobiology in ways that undermine health, social competence, and ability to succeed in school and life.” 7 The type of life a child experiences in the very early years has life-long consequences, and influences health conditions previously thought to be determined by adult choices: Adult conditions such as coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer that were regarded solely as products of adult behaviour and lifestyles are now seen as being linked to processes and experiences occurring decades before, in some cases as early as intrauterine life, across a wider range of impairments. 8 Recent Tasmanian statistics show that children from low-income households are at greater risk of impaired early childhood development. The following table demonstrates the relationship between household income and childhood vulnerability. 9
Proportion of children developmentally vulnerable on two or more domains, by weekly household income10
7 Tim
Moore (2015) “Conception to Three Years: The Nature and Significance of Early Development and the Implications for Practice” Presentation to Brotherhood of St Laurence; Centre for Community Child Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute 8 Tim Moore (2015) “Conception to Three Years: The Nature and Significance of Early Development and the Implications for Practice” Presentation to Brotherhood of St Laurence; Centre for Community Child Health, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute 9 ABS (2015) “Factors Influencing Early Childhood Development in Tasmania” ABS Cat. No. 4261.6 10 (a) Includes negative or nil income.
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Recommendation That the Government adapt and implement the UK 1001 Critical Days model in Tasmania, including: • A cross-party commitment • A working group to oversee community consultation • Strengthening of tier one and two early intervention community-based services.
Cost Improving outcomes for Tasmanian children
Uncosted
Rationale We can improve the health, wellbeing and participation rates in school, work and social activity by improving supports for parents and babies from prenatal and throughout the first two years of life. We can also reduce the need for and incidence of out-of-home care in Tasmania by strengthening our preventative strategy. We can lessen the instances of Child Protection contacts by addressing some of the causes of violence and trauma in the home, through improvements in preventative measures and the provision of supports and services that build and sustain safe and loving home environments. The United Kingdom model, The 1001 Critical Days, was established in 2013 and is already yielding positive results. Supported by a cross-party manifesto, the model sets out a holistic approach to early intervention, and targets at-risk families by mobilising a range of community-based services to assist with parenting and infant mental health. Maternity services, community health workers and mental health services all work closely together to identify families at risk, provide support and share data. If adopted in Tasmania, 1001 Critical Days can help provide the means to achieving the outcomes set down in the Protecting Children is Everyone’s Business: National Framework for Protecting Children 2009-2020: We recognise that the best way to protect children is to prevent child abuse and neglect from occurring in the first place. To do this we need to build capacity and strength in our families and communities, across the nation … The protection of children is not simply a matter for the statutory child protection systems. 11 The tiered approach, outlined in the 1001 Days Cross-Party Manifesto emphasises the importance of community-level early intervention supports that are at the heart of this model: 12
11 COAG 12 1001
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(2009) Protecting Children is Everyone’s Business: National Framework for Protecting Children 2009-2020. Canberra, p6 Days Cross-Party Manifesto, p7 http://www.1001criticaldays.co.uk/
Tiered approach to parent-infant services
If adapted for Tasmania, investment in the Tier 1 and 2 services and programs that deliver professional child and family supports throughout the community could complement, support and strengthen the reforms planned for out-of-home care. The first report produced two years after 1001 Critical Days was established in the UK warns that without intervention the intergenerational cycles of infant maltreatment continue: “These selfperpetuating cycles create untold and recurring costs for society. The economic value of breaking these cycles will be enormous.” 13 In Tasmania, intensive support from peri-natal to age 2 years can interrupt the cycle, and could help to create a Tasmania where parents and communities are assisted to ensure that every new born child is raised in a loving, safe and supportive care environment. Department of Education initiatives such as Launching into Learning and Child and Family Centres are excellent initiatives; however, they alone cannot deliver the support that is needed to ensure all Tasmanian children are raised in safe and loving homes. There is a prevention gap, and it can be filled by investment and innovation from the Department of Health and Human Services.
13 “The
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1001 Critical Days: Building Great Britons” (February 2015) p15