Early Intervention: How Canada's social programs can work better, save lives, and often save money

Governments and social agencies tackle the toughest social problems their citizens face -- poverty, homelessness, mental and physical illness, violence, abuse, and more. Yet these problems persist in Canada -- in many cases, they are worsening -- and the costs of the social safety net continue to rise.

New approaches have been developed by innovators frustrated by the failure of traditional programs and policies, in Canada and internationally. Many of the most promising new approaches use a...