Home secretary David Blunkett announced last week the fourth round of funding by the Home Office's Family Support Grant Programme. The programme, which has allocated 12m over three years, was set up to develop effective and accessible support for parents.
More than 50 organisations will share the grant, which will fund a variety of schemes including encouraging father-friendly services, supporting black and ethnic minority families, targeting children at risk of social exclusion, and providing parenting education for drug users.
Mr Blunkett described strong families and good parenting as being 'the building blocks of strong communities' and said that supporting parents in difficult circumstances was essential if young people are to become active members of their communities. He added that the funding would 'offer practical help and advice to families' and 'strengthen not only families, but ultimately, the communities in which they live'.
The African Families Support Services project has received 40,000 to provide information and support to African refugee families living in the London boroughs of Kingston and Richmond in order to promote good parenting.
Sophie Kafeero, co-ordinator at African Family Support Services, said, 'We want to develop support for people with Black African origins. Young people who have grown up over here can have different expectations than those of the older generation. We want to encourage inter-generation discussion.'
Other organisations to receive grants include Fathers Direct in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, which has received 50,000 to develop a network of organisations working with fathers, including core standards for 'father-friendly services' in consultation with local service providers and other stakeholders. A 49,000 grant to the National Autistic Society in Nottingham will be used to deliver a training programme to parents of children who have recently received a diagnosis of an autistic spectrum disorder.