Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 October 2019
565. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress made to ensure that an adverse childhood experiences framework will be adopted to ensure greater prevention and early intervention in health, social and educational services for all children. [43399/19]
View answerI take it that the Deputy is referring to the 'Adverse Childhood Experiences' framework which shows that the experiences of a child in early childhood may impact their health and well being throughout the life course. International research suggests that long-term harms may result from chronic, 'toxic' stress during childhood. The research indicates that stress arises when children are routinely exposed to factors such as physical abuse, neglect, substance abuse in the home, or other negative experiences. Such childhood stressors are known as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Pilot work on ACE application is ongoing in five cross border projects.
However, while ACEs may be a useful research tool, it is important to acknowledge that the chief object of prevention and early intervention approaches is to build sustainable, resilient communities for all. The role of prevention and early intervention within the continuum of care is not merely to combat risk and emerging issues, but to heighten the positives in the lives of children and young people. This includes educational engagement, positive health behaviours and confident parenting.
My Department has developed a robust suite of structures which support such high-quality, evidence informed prevention and early intervention approaches. The Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme, delivered as part of Tusla’s wider Prevention, Partnership and Family Support (PPFS) Programme, aims to test and evaluate prevention and early intervention approaches to improve outcomes for children, young people and families living in poverty in 13 areas of disadvantage across Ireland. It complements the work of Tusla under PPFS to support a paradigm shift towards prevention and earlier intervention support.
At a county level, Children and Young People’s Services Committees (CYPSC) act as a driver of inter-agency working and collaboration to improve outcomes for children and young people. CYPSC bring together a diverse group of agencies in their local areas to engage in joint planning of services for children and young people.
'What Works' is my Department’s initiative to support high quality, evidence-informed prevention and early intervention approaches across the system of policy, provision and practice. What Works is designed to nurture, grow and champion evidence-informed prevention and early intervention approaches. What Works aims to enhance the use and availability of data and evidence; support capacity development; and ensure quality at the levels of policy, service and provision.
What Works is designed not merely to address challenging areas, but to recognise the good work parents, practitioners, providers, and policymakers are already doing and support them to keep doing it. It aims to secure the best possible return on the State’s significant investment in prevention and early intervention services in the past decade.
Considerable work has gone into raising the profile and practice of prevention and early intervention in the recent past. My Department ensured that earlier intervention and prevention was included as a transformation goal in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014 – 2020. I am pleased that continued emphasis on this area has stimulated development with supportive partners in Tusla PPFS and the community and voluntary sector. I will ensure prevention and early intervention continues to be foregrounded in future policy statements published by my Department and developments in this area will in due course take into account the evaluation of the pilot work on ACE projects.
