Welsh Government announces £42m to help hard-up families

Funding worth nearly £42 million a year to support Wales’ most vulnerable and disadvantaged families has been announced by the Welsh Government.

The money will be ploughed into the Families First programme to help families threatened or affected by poverty.

The announcement was made by Gwenda Thomas, Deputy Minister for Children and Social Services. The scheme will be delivered by local authorities and also includes £3 million for projects with a focus on disability.

The Welsh Government has said working with families as a whole will have a bigger impact on tackling child poverty and reduce the likelihood of families developing more complicated and costly needs.

The Deputy Minister said: “Without change in the way we operate we will not have a long-lasting impact on families living in poverty. Our Tackling Poverty action plan prioritises the needs of the poorest and protects those most at risk of poverty and exclusion.

“Families First focuses on early and appropriate intervention for children and families to help build the resilience at difficult times.

“We are already seeing the rewards. The emerging ‘team around the family’ approach is offering some very encouraging early signs for families feeling the impact of these tough economic times.

“Through multi-agency cooperation and the delivery of innovative services, we hope to improve the lives of families sooner to prevent more complex issues arising.”

Families First aims to:

• Help working age people in low income families gain, and progress within employment;
• Encourage children, young people and families, in/ at risk of poverty, to achieve their potential; and
• Ensure children, young people and families are healthy and safe.

The Welsh Government has said it will continue to focus on early years programmes like Flying Start and the Foundation Phase, with the key difference that Families First extends support to all age groups.