The historical and political context for integrated working

In terms of contemporary early childhood policy and practice, the role of integrated or collaborative working has become a central component in our attempts to meet the needs of the children and families with which we work. This chapter will therefore explore the historical origins of integrated working to support children and families which emerged in parallel with an increasingly supportive role played by the state. It will consider how shifting dominant discourses around children and families provided the context for state support and the increasingly significant role of a range of disciplines/professions in supporting children and families. Examples of early state support will be explored with a specific focus on the range of agencies/organisations involved in supporting children and families. It will also consider how the birth of the welfare state resulted in creating a supportive environment for children and families and how this has contributed to the recent proliferation of legislation/policy which utilises integrated working to support children and families in early childhood. It will discuss how increasing state involvement in supporting families has focused on this phase of a child’s life to enable early intervention in order to provide opportunities for children’s holistic development.