Willie Penrose
Ceist:102 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Education and Science the progress to date in introducing the parents as first teachers programme as promised in an action programme for the millennium. [17135/01]
Written Answers. - Family Support Programmes.
As part of their family support initiatives aimed at supporting vulnerable families and children in their own communities, the health boards provide or support a number of interventions aimed at developing or strengthening parenting skills. These include the community mothers programme, the community parenting support programme, Homestart, Lifestart and First Steps.
In addition, the springboard family support project, the teenage parenting support projects and a number of community development projects include parenting support and parenting skills development among their objectives. The family affairs unit in the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs also provides support for parenting.