Prevention and Early Intervention
Weiss, Woodrum, Lopez, and Kraemer (1993) note the importance of prevention and early intervention in providing services to children and families:
"Services that treat causes instead of symptoms tend to sustain behavioral gains. They also are likely to be cost-effective over the long term. The point is to focus on promoting development and on timely intervention. Ideally, services are available to families at the earliest stage of child development, and practitioners are there to offer continuing support. This way, families receive assistance before they reach a crisis stage." (p. 16)