The rights of all children to develop to their full potential and to participate without barriers in all aspects of society constituted the overarching theme of the ‘Children’s Rights and Early Intervention’ international conference attended by Agency representatives on 8–10 June 2016. Approximately 700 participants from 55 countries took part in this event in Stockholm organized by the International Society on Early Intervention (ISEI) in conjunction with the Stockholm University.
Encouraging and supporting the inclusion of children with developmental delays and disabilities in natural environments – including family settings, childcare and preschool programmes – is at the core of maximising children’s rights. Indeed, the concept of full participation is consistent with two United Nations treaties that address these rights: the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The major themes of the ISEI conference, Children’s Rights and Early Intervention, also constitute key priorities in the Agency’s work. The Agency’s Inclusive Early Childhood Education project starts from the premise that early childhood educational experiences have an important impact on a person’s life. The convergence of conceptual frameworks and empirical findings in the areas of child development, risk and disability, and intervention have led to the unequivocal conclusion that vulnerable children and their families benefit in many ways from participation in high quality early intervention programmes. Along with international treaties and initiatives in conjunction with the establishment of country-level innovative models and policies, the field of early intervention is now poised to have a worldwide and meaningful impact.
Supporting the expression of a child’s full potential – a central goal of all early intervention programmes – can only be accomplished in the context of a child’s and family’s full participation in all aspects of community life. Advocating for and promoting full participation is therefore an equally critical goal of early intervention and should also be considered as a fundamental right of all children.
At the conference in Stockholm, early intervention was proposed as a basic right of all vulnerable children and was explored from many perspectives. Issues related to access, equity, quality and accountability are paramount. The development and evaluation of policies in individual countries or regions within countries to ensure that early intervention is among the rights of young children has provided an important context for the programme.