The EarlyStart program is an education and therapy service that focuses on supporting inclusion, transition and partnerships, for children and families, in their local communities.
Staff members support families by:
- strengthening the relationships and partnerships families have with their local community services and activities;
- supporting children and families to access community based activities;
- improving transitions to mainstream services.
Each family receives an early intervention service to the value of $6 500 per year. This amounts to approximately 40 appointments which are guided by an Individual Family Service Plan. In addition, each family has $1 500 of individual funding which can be spent to support inclusion, transitions and partnerships.
Using a family-centred approach, families spend this funding to meet their individual needs. Examples of the way some families have used these funds include: paying for mainstream preschool services; purchasing a pram so that a mother can transport her two children to local community activities and preschool; and purchasing communication and technology assessment services for a child, which will improve inclusion in their local preschool.
Inclusion as Intervention
Pathways ECI supports the inclusion of children with additional needs in: mainstream early childhood programs such as preschool or child care; community settings such as playgroups and recreational activities, and school. Inclusion is important because children need to participate in developmentally advanced settings to learn how to participate independently and successfully. Inclusion is a major form of early intervention and is supported by research.
