Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 193: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the Programme for Government to foster a parent plus approach to support families and parents and establish local programmes to help parents, including parenting classes for those whose children have been identified as most at risk of future anti-social behaviour. [19299/08]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The dominant focus in child care services since the early 1990s has been on the protection and care of children who are at risk. During this time work was undertaken on the development of our foster care and residential care services, including the development of special care units for children who require intensive interventions. More recently, the policy focus has shifted to a more preventive approach to child welfare, involving support to families and individual children, aimed at avoiding the need for further more serious interventions later on. These family support services complement the existing residential and foster care services.

"The Agenda for Children's Services" has been developed and published by the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in 2007. The principle of having health and social services provided on the basis of the child being supported within the family, within the local community, is at the core of "the Agenda". The purpose of the policy document is to set out the strategic direction and key goals of public policy in relation to children's health and social services. "The Agenda" includes a list of "Reflective Questions" for policy makers, HSE Senior Managers and frontline staff. This is a unique feature of "the Agenda". The aim of these questions is to assist people working in the system to check and change the way they work in the light of learning from past experience and also to allow them to better understand where their own work on behalf of children fits into the wider system. The Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is working with the HSE in promoting the message of "the Agenda" to service providers around the country.

Family support services are provided to promote the welfare of children who may be at risk of abuse or neglect. Family support may be delivered formally through the direct services of statutory and voluntary organisations, and informally through the support of extended families, friends, neighbourhoods, communities, parishes and other local networks. Family support programmes are provided nationally by services such as the Community Mothers, Family Support Workers, Teen Parents Support Projects, Youth Advocacy Programmes and Spring Board Projects and encompass a range of general parenting programmes and supports, including parenting classes. The HSE works closely with non-governmental organisations in the provision of these services. HSE funding for family support initiatives has increased by 79% since 2003 (from €45.7m to €81.8m in 2008). This reflects the Government's on-going policy of emphasising a preventive and supportive approach to child welfare, within the family setting, in line with "the Agenda for Children's Services".