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21 January 1998
HELPING CHILDREN: A TOP PRIORITY FOR GOVERNMENT
Preventing young children from becoming socially excluded is top of the agenda at a seminar being hosted by the Treasury today.
The seminar, the first in a series of three, is part of a Cross Departmental Review which aims to consider whether the multiple causes of social exclusion affecting young children could be more effectively tackled at the family and community level.
Representatives from Government, local authorities, universities and voluntary organisations will attend and speak at the event. The aim is to ensure that the best information is available to inform decisions.
Tessa Jowell, chair of the Ministerial Committee said:
"We want to help those young children, who are at present not getting the support and help from services they need in early childhood, who fall behind before they even get to school and never catch up.
"We want services to be flexible and responsive to the needs of each child so everyone can get the best possible start in life.
"If Government departments work together not only can we give best value to the child but we can also get value for money by cutting the costs of crime and unemployment which can so easily follow if children do not get help at an early age. "
The Treasury is organising the event and leading the review in close collaboration with the Prime Minister's Office, the Social Exclusion Unit and other Government Departments eg the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Health.
The first seminar will look, in particular, at which children are most at risk of becoming socially excluded. The second seminar in February will look at the effectiveness of different forms of early intervention to help children and how services can be delivered effectively.
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The review is part of the Comprehensive Spending Review and is a cross-departmental review. It is considering whether money spent, on a wide range of services by central and local government, on children aged 0-7 (around 10 billion Pounds) could be used to better effect. In particular, it will assess whether a greater emphasis on preventative action and a more integrated, child-centred approach to service delivery could help cut the costs of crime and unemployment, and reduce the need for extra help for individuals at school and in later life, by helping parents, carers and communities to provide the best possible start for their children.
2. The terms of reference for the review are: to look at the policies and resources devoted to children aged 7 and under, in order to ensure effectiveness in providing preventative action and the necessary support to ensure the development of their full potential throughout their lives; the review will particularly consider whether the multiple causes of social exclusion affecting young children could be more effectively tackled at the family and community level using a more integrated approach to service provision; and it will take account of policy developments in initiatives being taken forward in other fora.
3. The second seminar will be held on the 26 February and will be hosted by the National Children's Bureau.