Partnerships for Prevention: The Story of the Highfield Community Enrichment Project

Henry G. MacLeod teaches sociology at Trent University and the
University of Waterloo.

The Highfield Community Enrichment Project is one of eight Better
Beginnings, Better Futures primary prevention and community-based
programs created by the Ontario government in response to its 1983 Child
Health Study. Communities applied to become sites for local prevention
projects that would address goals of reducing the incidence of child and
family problems, enhancing child and family wellness, and making
neighbourhoods healthier places for children and families. A
comprehensive research component, run by Queen’s University, was also
funded to measure the achievement of these three goals through a 25-year
longitudinal study. Partnerships for Prevention reviews the results from
the first seven years at the Highfield project, one of the sites
selected in 1991.

The authors have produced a solid study. It begins with the history of
the idea of prevention. One chapter and an appendix deal with the
research process and methodology. Part 1 includes a description of the
Highfield community. Part 2 gives a detailed account of the three
program components—family support, in-school, and community
development—that will be of particular interest to practitioners
involved in the how-to aspects of developing prevention programs. Part 3
presents the Highfield project as a new model for prevention programs,
while Part 4 summarizes outcomes and Part 5 looks to the future.
Partnerships for Prevention makes a strong contribution to theory,
research, and practice in primary prevention and mental health promotion
for children. The book has an academic tenor despite the best attempts
of the authors to make it more accessible to a wider audience.
Nonetheless, anyone concerned about the well-being of future generations
will find this a useful work to consult. The community has benefited
from the Highfield project and more enrichment programs are needed.