Page 4133 - Week 13 - Thursday, 31 October 2013
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their parents—who are displaying challenging or difficult behaviours in the home or at school. The emphasis of the parent-child interaction therapy is on improving the quality of the parent-child relationship and changing parent-child interactions.
Research is clear that an investment in early intervention services will result in significant savings later in the life of the child or the “problem”. Parent-child interaction therapy has been widely researched and it is known that the children who participate in the program are less likely to have further involvement with child protection services and school issues.
The government has shown its commitment to early intervention in this area by expanding the successful parents as teachers program at a cost of $1.2 million over four years. This is another key investment in prevention and early intervention responses for vulnerable children and their families.
Parents as teachers is an intensive home visiting program for children aged six months of age and under, with regular monthly visits by experienced professionals until the child turns three. It is provided at the child and family centres, as the centres have extensive experience in engaging “hard to reach” families. The program gives parents the knowledge and skills to handle complex parenting situations, and the relationship between parent and adviser allows targeted interventions based on areas of concern. Parents have reported that the program has helped them to address feelings of isolation, gain confidence in parenting and access other services.
The new funding will allow three additional parent educators to be appointed to work in the child and family centres; they will commence work in early 2014. I am pleased that the expansion of this program will more than double the number of families who will be able to access the parents as teachers program.
The ACT government has committed funding in the 2013-14 budget to the development and operation of the new trauma recovery centre in the ACT. The aim of the centre is to provide a high-quality, trauma-informed therapeutic program to children who have experienced abuse and neglect. Early therapeutic intervention when abuse and neglect have occurred maximises the opportunity for the best outcomes for children and young people. The centre will contribute to the range of support services available and the service will also undertake research into client outcomes. The centre will provide intensive treatment for children and young people and provide specialist parenting support for carers to ensure their parenting strategies are aligned with the child or young person’s developmental and therapeutic needs.
Childhood trauma has a lasting impact on the developing architecture of the brain and on the formation of a secure attachment between the child and their caregivers. Consequently, adverse childhood experiences are one of the strongest predictors of poor life outcomes. With this new centre, the ACT government is committed to reducing the impact of trauma on children within the ACT.
We must not forget that there are children in the ACT with disability and developmental delay who may experience challenges in accessing their community,
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