Funds for Meerilinga Foundation's Fremantle support service

24/10/96

Meerilinga Young Children's Foundation will provide a new support service to help families in the Fremantle area, Family and Children's Services Minister Cheryl Edwardes announced today.

Mrs Edwardes said Family and Children's Services would provide $85,000 a year to the organisation to operate a parent link home visiting service.

Trained volunteers who were parents themselves would visit parents of children aged up to five years in their homes regularly.

The volunteers would share their experience and information on parenting techniques, and help parents access services in their area and make links with other families.

"Many parents feel under-prepared to take on the crucial role of raising children and would like to do a better job," the Minister said.

"The service focuses on the needs of parents and not their shortcomings. It is an opportunity to improve their ability to deal with difficulties and provide a healthy environment to nurture their children.

"For example, parent visitors can help parents develop new skills to relate to their children and manage their child's behaviour leading also to higher self-esteem and self-confidence among parents."

Parents may contact the service themselves or may be referred by community organisations or Government departments.

Mrs Edwardes said the new service demonstrated Family and Children's Services commitment to supporting and strengthening families.

Home visiting services are also available on a pilot basis in Joondalup, Scarborough, Mandurah, Armadale and Geraldton and are being developed in Fremantle and Canning/Belmont as part of the department's $4.6 million parenting campaign.

Media contact: Diana Russell Coote 421 7777