Summary - Department of Health and Ageing

There is increasing evidence that investment in preventive programs in childhood can help
to reduce harmful drug use in later years. In many cases, evaluations have demonstrated
positive improvements in child behaviour problems over one to two years. Furthermore,
follow-up into adolescence has been completed for an increasing number of studies and
links the positive changes achieved through childhood prevention programs to later
reductions in harmful drug use and associated behaviour problems. Evaluations have also
found that pre-school programs may be important in ensuring a fuller realisation of
learning potential.
Although it appears that childhood intervention has the potential to improve
developmental outcomes for disadvantaged children, few Australian studies have
investigated these interventions. In particular, evaluation needs to look at the relevance of
both universal and targeted childhood interventions within Indigenous communities.