Prevention and early intervention with children in need: definitions,principles and examples of good practice

Prevention and early intervention for children in need has considerable appeal to policy makers and professionals operating from health, education and social services contexts. This paper sets out definitions intended to inform the development of ideas in this area. It summarises principles of effective prevention and early intervention based on an extensive review of the literature. It then sets out examples of good practice, one from previous North American attempts to give vulnerable children a better start in life, the other a contemporary illustration from England which seeks to build on some of the principles of good practice. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.