Children, Family, and Communities: Exploring Social Isolation Effects

This reflection examines the impact of social isolation on children, families, and communities, drawing on the student's experience with The Inner West Engagement Project. The project aimed to promote inclusivity and reduce the effects of isolation experienced by families within the Inner West C...Read More

Running head: CHILDREN FAMILY AND COMMUNITIES
Children, Family and Communities
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

1CHILDREN FAMILY AND COMMUNITIES
This reflection focusses on the families along with the children who are separated
from the community. The reflection lays stress on social isolation that is caused in the event
of the individual or the family losing contact with the societies along with the communities.
The reflection also talks about The Inner West Engagement Project that taught me about the
effect of the community isolation on the development of the children. The project was carried
out for the promotion of inclusivity that can help in reducing the effect of the isolation that is
experienced by the families within Inner West.
I have learnt that early intervention can prove to be useful in helping the children
along with their families who are separated from communities. The intervention programs
can help the parents and the siblings in dealing with the states of the helplessness,
disappointment along with the frustration. Early Intervention and Prevention Program (EIP)
can help in offering improved life to children that can help them in getting the better
opportunities. I have understood that the cognitive along with the behavioural capacities of
the children should be developed for the entire development of the children. I have learnt that
investments can prove to be useful that can help in fulfilling the requirements of the children.
I have been able to gather knowledge regarding the fact that social determinant of health
model (SDOH) can prove to be useful in focussing on the health issues in the global arena
(Arney & Scott, 2013). I have learnt that building the capacity in the children can help in
creating base of the good health from the early stages of the childhood (Who.int., 2019). I
have been able to learn that the smoke-free environment, along with the implementation of
the seat belts, can help in endorsing the improved health condition.
I have been able to gather knowledge with the help of The Inner West Engagement
Project that the children of parents having different cultural backgrounds suffer from
problems. The families who speak the languages other than that of English have children
suffering from disability. The transport difficulties is a factor that is instrumental in

2CHILDREN FAMILY AND COMMUNITIES
restricting the capacity of the Australian families in getting access to the services (Fulkerson
et al., 2018). I have been able to learn that both the socially advantaged along with the
socially disadvantaged people can suffer from the aspect of the transport disadvantage. I have
learnt that social isolation can result in poor health among the adults that can make them
suffer from the coronary heart diseases. I have been able to learn that the poor social relations
in the childhood can pave the path for the lower educational attainment. This can result into
many kinds of consequences that includes the adverse trajectories in relation to the
occupational along with the social position. The child social isolation can increase the
chances of the psychological distress in the adult life (Greenwood et al., 2018). The
community project helped in targeting the families along with children within Inner West
Council Local Government Area. The project targeted the parents along with the children
who were of the age of 2-6 years. With the help of this project, work was carried out with the
Council Libraries, along with the Early Childhood centres, that helped in gathering useful
information in relation to the project. The discussion with the parents took place with the help
of the group discussion and the children were provided with the opportunity of playing freely.
The newsletter helped in discussion of monthly newsletter which includes the programs along
with events in coming months.
I have learnt in the course of the readings that the development that takes place during
the course of the early childhood proves to be influential for an individual across the entire
life span. I have been able to gather knowledge regarding the fact that gender inequities in the
families have an effect on the development of the children. I have gathered the useful
information that environment of family can help in determining nature of an individual. I
have been able to learn that the relational communities can offer social support to the children
along with the guardians that includes the informational support along with the emotional
support (Unicef.org., 2019). I have understood that the relational communities have elements

3CHILDREN FAMILY AND COMMUNITIES
of the association along with the union. I have been successful in learning that place based
approaches can help in addressing broader issues that can influence families at that of the
community level. The place-based approaches can prove to be useful in thinking in a
different manner that can provide encouragement to individuals for pursuing things that can
help in connecting places and the communities.
I was able to contribute in an effective manner to the group design called The Inner
West Engagement Project. I was responsible for finding out about the strengths, challenges
along with the vulnerabilities in relation to the community. The strategy that was effective
was discussion with parents that helped in finding out important information that helped in
providing abundant information about the children residing in the community. The challenges
of working in collaboration arise on account of the fact that there were mutual disagreements
at the time of working in the project that acted as a hurdle in relation to completion of project.
The benefits of working in a group arises from the fact that the other members of the project
collected the useful information that helped in completion of project. The project has helped
me in learning about the leadership skills that can help me in becoming a successful
educational leader in the future.
I have understood that empowering the families can help in the proper development of
the children in the families. Socio-economic position in relation to the family can have effect
on the development of the children. The children can learn regarding themselves in context of
families along with the communities. I was able to learn the art of the collaboration with the
help of the The Inner West Engagement Project.

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References
Arney, F., & Scott, D. (Eds.). (2013). Working with vulnerable families: A partnership
approach. Cambridge University Press.
Fulkerson, J. A., Friend, S., Horning, M., Flattum, C., Draxten, M., Neumark-Sztainer, D., ...
& Kubik, M. Y. (2018). Family home food environment and nutrition-related parent
and child personal and behavioral outcomes of the Healthy Home Offerings via the
Mealtime Environment (HOME) Plus program: a randomized controlled trial. Journal
of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 118(2), 240-251.
Greenwood, P. W., Karoly, L. A., Everingham, S. S., Houbé, J., Kilburn, M. R., Rydell, C.
P., ... & Chiesa, J. (2018). Estimating the costs and benefits of early childhood
interventions: Nurse home visits and the Perry Preschool. In Costs and benefits of
preventing crime (pp. 123-148). Routledge.
Unicef.org. (2019). Early childhood development. Retrieved from
https://www.unicef.org/early-childhood-development
Who.int. (2019). Early child development. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/topics/early-
child-development/en/