ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the contribution of neighbourhood-based services to enhancing children’s well-being and promoting stronger families. It begins by looking at the importance of neighbourhood in children’s development, and introduces the ‘ecological theory’ as a way of incorporating elements of a child’s environment in our overall understanding of a particular child and children in general. The chapter then moves to ways of assessing the impact of environment on children’s lives and behaviour, by giving greater prominence to neighbourhood influences within the assessment framework. The chapter finally looks at kinds of community-based and community-level services that are being developed for children and parents, particularly those using schools as hubs for delivery.
