Building Stronger Communities with Children and Families (2nd Edition)
This book highlights key principles emerging from the process of implementing an entire community and government approach to supporting families at risk of vulnerability. Drawing on the expertise of a number of practitioners and researchers, it also examines the efficacy of some of the early intervention and prevention strategies developed through the Australian Communities for Children initiative. It will be of particular interest to community services, education and child welfare practitioners and policy makers involved with, or contemplating involvement in, implementing a place-based collective impact approach to child development, wellbeing and protection. How can we better engage with families at risk in a digital world? How can we deliver holistic, integrated support? How can we redesign our family support systems? What kind of leadership and governance will it take to implement the kind of systems change that delivers improved outcomes? These are critical questions we need to engage with if we are to collaboratively redesign inadequate, siloed approaches and build family-friendly communities that improve the lives of children and families.
Karl Brettig is Manager of Salisbury Communities for Children, a community development initiative of the Australian Government facilitated by The Salvation Army at Ingle Farm in South Australia. The Salisbury team, in collaboration with community partners, has developed integrated support services for families at risk of vulnerability including family centres, an innovative early childhood parenting community and a whole of school based social/emotional learning initiative. Together with a number of child and family support stakeholders, he convened the Children Communities Connections Learning Network to bring together practitioners, policy makers and researchers to resource integrated and holistic support for children and their families. He is the co-editor of Building Integrated Connections for Children their Families and Communities (with Professor Margaret Sims, 2011).
“Possibly the most impressive aspect of Communities for Children is the fact that it has persisted through many political and economic climates and continues to grow and to learn about what works for young children and their families. This accumulated knowledge and practice wisdom continues to help families to enjoy their children and feel more confident as parents. It is available here in this book and presented in a very readable way.”
Dr Sue Packer, AM
Paediatrician and Senior Australian of the Year 2019
“This book adopts a strong evidence-based approach that covers a wide range of contexts and situations from a variety of perspectives and lenses of analysis. It reveals the benefits of moving from proprietorial professionalism not only to better collaborative arrangements, but to integrated approaches between external stakeholders in engaging with the communities where they work.”
Hon. Dr Lynn Arnold, AO
Former Premier and Minister of Education; CE of World Vision Australia and Anglicare SA
“Reading this book made my heart sing. It both challenges and inspires thinking around possibilities for the child, family and community, and provides service providers and practitioners with information to become stronger advocates for co-producing services with children, families and communities.”
Joan Gilbert
President Early Childhood SA; Director Education and Care Café Enfield
Dr. Ted Evans
Margaret Sims
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