23/4/01
Community Development Minister Sheila McHale said the State Government's Strong Families project is producing positive results for families.
Strong Families, being piloted in Midland and Albany, is a new way for Government agencies to work together with families who need extra help and more co-ordinated services.
Speaking at the Regional State Cabinet meeting in Albany today, Ms McHale said Strong Families was about agencies working together with families for better results.
"The SAFER W.A. initiative, being trialed for 12 months, is in line with Government policy and a good example of how early intervention can help benefit families who need additional guidance," she said.
"The program means that all agencies which already deal with high-resource families get together with a family to talk through the issues affecting them.
"The family and the agencies can work together on a unified plan that will help with their problems, instead of each agency dealing with the same issues separately."
The key agencies working in partnership for Strong Families are Family and Children's Services, the WA Police Service, Education Department, Ministry of Justice, Aboriginal Affairs and Ministry of Housing.
In Albany the Great Southern Health Service and the City of Albany are involved in the initiative.
"I'm pleased that Centrelink and the Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services are also participating in the partnership," Ms McHale said.
Funding for the $275,000 Albany and Midland project has come from within agency resources.
Strong Families is a voluntary program and only proceeds with the consent of families who want to be involved.
Ms McHale said the reduction of crime was only one potential outcome of the program.
"Strong Families works to improve the overall life outcomes of children and their families through improved parenting and family functioning, better educational achievement and health outcomes," she said.
"The Strong Families initiative is based on a New Zealand model which has been successfully operating there for three years.
"The project focuses on families dealing with issues such as health and alcohol or drug problems, difficulties with parenting and family functioning, truancy, low educational achievement or involvement in criminal behaviour.
"Feedback from the nine families who are already involved with the program has been positive.
"One mother said that she felt her concerns had been listened to and acted upon and that everyone was working together to help her and her children."
Any family with a child under the age of 18 years can be referred for a Strong Families meeting.
"Through all the agencies coming together we will be able to deliver better and more co-ordinated services for families," Ms McHale said.
The Strong Families project is subject to an evaluation process which will also provide information for the feasibility of future expansion of the program.
For more information, contact Tim Christie in Albany on 9841 0320 or Bernie Fisher in Midland on 9274 8666.
Media contact: Steve Manchee on 9213 6900
