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Quality Criteria in the Early Childhood
InterventionBudapest, 16th of April, 2009

• Dr. Climent Giné
• Facultat de Psicologia, CC de lEducació i de
  lEsport Blanquerna
• Universitat Ramon Llull

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• PRESENTATION
• Early Intervention (EI) has undergone a deep
  transformation in the last few years (conceptual
  models professional practice).
• At the same time, EI has experienced an important
  boost and development in the last decades.
• Its positive impact on the development of
  children and families is widely recognized.
• Evaluation/accreditation practices are needed
• (a) Accountability to the government that
  financially supports the services.
• (b) Improvement-orientated models.

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• PRESENTATION
• New models have been developed, always
  incorporating quality criteria.
• Debate on quality criteria is necessary and is
  not closed it is neither neutral.
• In this communication, criteria from
  international research and contrasted practice
  will be described.

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• QUALITY CRITERIA
• (a) Consider the family, not the child, as the
  main focus of attention, recognizing different
  interrelational systems (father, mother,
  siblings, grandparents, professionals).
• (b) Adopt an ecological and systemic perspective.
• (c) Consider the family from a developmental
  perspective and, as a result, establish the
  familys empowerment as a priority, from their
  strengths.
• (d) Be sensitive to the different values of the
  family and learn to work with different
  families, identifying their possibilities in
  every case.

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• QUALITY CRITERIA
• (e) We can only build up from strengths basing
  on positive aspects rather than on shortages will
  help us identify strengths likewise, taking
  their ambitions into account will help the
  professional be aware that the parents are the
  ones who make the decisions.
• (f) Opt for inclusive environments reinforce
  formal and informal social networks in the
  community as support sources.
• (g) Promote positive perceptions in families both
  in relation to the childs possibilities and the
  early intervention.

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• QUALITY CRITERIA
• (h) Promote the childrens development in the
  different fields, in particular in relation to
  their social competence.
• (i) Build up a relationship between professionals
  and families based on confidence, appraisal, and
  respect.
• (j) Work as a collaborative team, assuming a
  cross-disciplinary perspective.