Parenting initiatives awarded cash boost

The antisocial behaviour unit is allocating £1.5m this year to
fund programmes for the parents of children liable to antisocial
behaviour.

Home Office minister Hazel Blears told the Youth Justice Board’s
annual convention in London that the money would be shared between
all youth offending teams to support extending parenting
programmes.

She said that targeting support at those known to be at risk was a
vital element in preventing antisocial behaviour, and that the
money would “help parents steer those young people who are on the
verge of criminality away from crime before they start to
offend”.

The funding will prioritise one-off programmes to groups including
those representing ethnic minorities, fathers, single and foster
parents and seminars on specific topics such as anger
management.

The programmes provide parents with a chance to improve their
skills in dealing with the behaviour that puts their child at risk
of offending. Early findings suggest that they have been successful
in reducing criminal convictions among children.