Its publication on Monday follows prime minister Tony Blair's speech to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in York last week.
Mr Blair said, 'I am not talking about "baby Asbos", trying to make the state raise children, or interfering with normal life. I am saying that where it is clear, as it is often at a young age, that children are at risk of being brought up in a dysfunctional home where there are multiple problems, say of drug abuse or offending, then instead of waiting until the child goes off the rails, we should act early enough to prevent it.'
The action plan report said that the Government would set up 'ten health-led parenting support demonstration projects from pre-birth to age two, building in a rigorous evaluation of targeted support. These will mainly be based around Sure Start children's centres'.
The programmes will draw on the success of the overseas model the Nurse-Family Partnership, cited in the document for its effectiveness, which involves a structured programme of home visits by trained nurses during pregnancy and the first two years targeted at disadvantaged families.
The projects will develop training for midwives and health visitors in how to 'identify and engage at-risk families and deliver effective interventions', the plan said.
Reaching Out: An action plan on social exclusion can be seen at www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk.
* See 'In my view' on page 31