Facilitating Children's Transition to School from Families with Complex Support Needs

This report reinforces the importance of the transition to school for children from families with complex support needs. For all children and families, but particularly for those with complex support needs, the transition to school is a time of both opportunity and vulnerability. Families with complex support needs are those experiencing multiple challenges related to children, parents or the whole family. These could encompass poverty, unemployment, ill health, substance abuse, experiences of violence or trauma, poor educational outcomes, truancy, behavioural problems, isolation and/or responding to family members with disabilities or special education needs (Katz, Spooner, & valentine, 2007). The combination of challenges presents a range of stresses for these families.