4Children welcomes improved support for separating families

Anne Longfield, Chief Executive of 4Children, said:

“Research shows that parental separation can be traumatic for children, but it also tells us that this can be minimised if the separation is managed as positively as possible.  That’s why providing support that will encourage families to collaborate is so important.

“Family support services of this kind have the potential to reframe how we help families flourish at such a difficult time.  Today’s announcement is an important first step in making this happen with the potential to make help and advice available for everyone – online and in their local area.

“It is important to see this new intervention alongside other forms of support for troubled families as well as parenting support – providing early, practical help when parents need it. We have the potential to make support for families something everyone can expect. As a member of the steering group of voluntary and community sector experts, I look forward to helping make that happen.”

 

 

 

Notes to Editors

Today (Wednesday) the Work and Pensions Minister, Maria Miller, will be announcing family support services for separating and separated parents. This will form part of the radical reforms to the Child Maintenance system which will see a charge introduced for an improved statutory system to deal with the hardest cases but much more support up front to help parents to come to their own family-based arrangements.

A steering group of voluntary and community sector experts as well as academics will advise on how best this money should be used to coordinate existing organisations on the ground. They will help define what is needed, which could include:
• A web service that will be able to provide on-line material and peer to peer forums as well as signposting parents to specialist websites and local support services in their area;
• Helpline support for separating parents who need information and contact details for specialist and local support services that could help them;
• Coordinated local services to offer help and support.

For further information, please contact:
Attila Kulcsar at attila.kulcsar@4children.org.uk or call 020 7522 6919 / 07917542464

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