Social Ecology
Children’s needs arise in different contexts of family, school, and the wider arena of state policy. Social ecology theory is an overarching framework that highlights how individuals and families, their communities and wider society mutually influence each other. At the heart of ecological theory is a desire to identify ways in which those experiencing stress or difficulty can be supported through their social ecology such as community or culture. It provides the framework for the increased focus on community and family level interventions with children and young people over the past two decades and is the third strand underpinning the UNESCO CFRC’s Family Support orientation.