Towards family-centred ECI

For Early Childhood Intervention services to be successful, they need to be designed with the understanding that all learning occurs in the context of healthy relationships between infants and children and those who live with and love them. It is crucial to ensure that services providers receive adequate funding and support to develop family-centred processes, and that their staff are trained in the model of early childhood intervention.

Key factors that are considered as part of an effective ECI approach include:

  • Early and continuous

    It seeks to start working with children shortly after birth or as early as possible.

  • Family-centred

    Strong relationships with families are key for achieving successful results. ECI supports families and helps them focus on their child’s development, know and exercise their rights, and make the best decisions for their child’s wellbeing.

  • Based on a social model

    Rather than addressing solely a child’s needs, ECI also focuses on assessing the family’s strengths and wellbeing, the child’s next developmental steps, and the wider context and support network in which the family lives.

  • Intensive

    Support actions can be frequent, depending on the needs of the child and family, and should happen in the home and other natural daily environments of the child.

  • Accessible

    ECI services must be easily accessible to all, affordable and based as close as possible to families’ homes.

  • Transdisciplinary, integrated and team based

    Families are supported by professionals from different sectors and disciplines that work in teams to provide one integrated service of assessment, individualised family service plans and visits, through one selected service provider for each family and child.

  • Tailor-made and evidence-based

    ECI services are individualised, built on child and family strengths and needs, and they are based on research findings and continuous monitoring and evaluation.