More families to receive intensive home support
19 May 2016.
Social Development Minister Anne Tolley has announced that $7.3 million a year will be reprioritised to support more vulnerable children and their families through intensive home visitation programme Family Start.
The expansion will result in 1,250 additional families receiving Family Start.
The funding will be reprioritised from the Parents As First Teachers (PAFT) programme, which is targeted at lower-risk families.
By shifting this funding to Family Start the Ministry of Social Development will be better directing its resources to a service designed to identify families with vulnerable children, and support their children’s growth and health, learning and relationships, family circumstances, environment and safety.
A recent evaluation of Family Start found that it had achieved positive impacts for vulnerable children.
The Ministry of Social Development will work with PAFT providers to ensure the smooth transition of clients to other services.
