Helen Dent, chief executive of the Family Welfare Association, said the Government had shown readiness to help families through initiatives such as Sure Start and the Children's Fund and it should not 'involve the criminal justice system'.
The association, a charity that concentrates on helping poorer families, said the term 'feckless parents' provided a banner headline for the press, but was 'out of sync with other Government measures which have been very supportive to families'.
Gillian Pugh, chief executive of Coram Family, which provides care for vulnerable children and their families, said parenting orders would not help families where children are exhibiting challenging behaviour.
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