This paper addresses the question of how we can build more cohesive communities for children and families. Who are the communities that we in early childhood and family support services serve? Where do we find them? And how can we best support them and meet their needs? In answering these questions, two lines of research and theory are considered. One concerns complexity theory, which suggests that a threshold level of regular contact with other people (eg. parents of young children) is needed for a consensus about their collective needs to emerge. The other concerns the importance of social support, how people's personal networks and social contacts affect their personal well-being and parenting. A third factor that must be taken into account is that our existing early childhood and early childhood intervention service system is no longer meeting all the needs of all the children as effectively as it once did.

Implications of these factors for the early childhood and early childhood intervention service systems are explored. The ultimate aim is the development of more cohesive communities that can better support all children (including those with particular developmental, behavioural or health needs) and all families (including those with exceptional support needs).