HISTORIC PRESS RELEASE : More Help for Parents – £25M Parenting Fund [July 2003]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 25 July 2003.

The Treasury and Department for Education and Skills today published a consultation document on proposals for how to use the £25 million Parenting Fund, which was announced as part of the 2002 Spending Review.

The Parenting Fund will assist voluntary and community organisations in the delivery of Parenting Support.

The proposals for consultation are the result of a close working relationship between representatives from the voluntary and community sector and Government.  The consultation document proposes that the Parenting Fund be used to achieve four key objectives:

• Contributing to an expansion in support available to all parents – for example, increasing the availability of help-lines.
• Increasing support services for groups who currently receive little access – for example, assisting voluntary and community organisations who provide services to black and minority ethnic families, fathers or parents of adolescents.
• Spreading parenting support services to wider geographical areas.
• Increasing the capacity of the whole parenting support sector to grow – for example, by increasing workforce skills and developing infrastructure.

Paul Boateng, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said:

“The Government is committed to enabling parents and families to access the support, help and advice that they need.  The Parenting Fund is a significant investment of resources to support voluntary and community organisations in the important work they do to deliver parenting support.  The manner in which the proposals have been drawn up is another example of an innovative and constructive working collaboration between government and the voluntary and community sector, which I am truly proud of.”

Margaret Hodge, Minister of State for Children, said:

“Being a parent is one of the hardest jobs most of us have to do.  All parents at some point need help on how to do it.  Not all have help readily at hand from their families and friends.  I am delighted that we have the extra resources of the Parenting Fund.  I look forward to hearing views from outside government on the best ways of targeting the fund to help families get the support they need.”