Community Family Trusts, National Association of,

All the social indices including couple separation, juvenile crime, domestic violence, truancy, suicide rates among young men, demand for single housing and children with behavioural problems when they first arrive at school are all rising year in and year out. The resources required to provide crisis invention is increasing dramatically. The cost to our communities in both financial and emotional terms is no longer acceptable. Something must be done to start to tackle the causes of the crisis rather than just the symptoms.

Community Family Projects aim to teach relationship skills to all adults and children in the community to empower them to make better relationship decisions at home and in the work place. This is a long term educational program which operates simultaneously in the schools, health clinics and churches. There is plenty of excellent material available but massive problems in accessing people who culturally are reluctant to attend any relationship teaching forum. Preventative work is given low priority in funding circles due to the overwhelming demand for crisis funding.

If our communities are to become socially self supporting again then we need to make sure couples are properly prepared and supported in the early stage of their relationship. Children leave school relationally literate as they are computer literate. Parents are given long term appropriate support to enable them to bring their children up in a secure emotional environment.

The National Association of Community Family Trusts are willing to support those who wish to set up similar projects in their area.