From the initial 1999 meeting which led to the creation of NIFTeY, the participants were particularly influenced by:
- The demonstration of “common pathways” to adverse or optimal outcomes in multiple areas of life function such as education, employment, relationships, parenting, involvement with the criminal justice system, and physical and mental health.
- The increased efficacy of interventions in the early years over interventions occurring later in life when problems have become entrenched.
- The need for interventions to be “evidence-based” wherever possible and the important role of evaluation and re-evaluation of new and existing programs for children, their families and care-givers.
- The impact of social change and policy initiatives on the health and well being of children and their families and the interaction of diverse and more distal factors on the developmental health of the infant and young child.
- Neuroscience research demonstrating the relationship between early life experience and the development and function of the brain and endocrine system.
- The urgent need to establish longitudinal data collection in Australia to monitor the impact of social, economic and political change and the impact of new policy initiatives and interventions on the health and well being of children, their families and the community.