Strengthening and supporting Australian families.

This article reports on Australian government measures to strengthen and support families. The new National Families Strategy has committed the Commonwealth Government to working closely with the State and Territory governments, as well as with the voluntary sector, to develop a national framework to support and strengthen family life in Australia. The main emphasis of the new strategy will be on preventing family breakdown by developing effective early interventions. Such interventions include things like relationship education and parenting training, both of which will be extended, as well as various programs aimed at preventing child abuse, domestic violence, youth homelessness and crime. The government says that it will further support and strengthen family life in Australia by reforming the tax and benefits systems, by enhancing access to child care, and by providing more help for rural and regional families. The basic philosophy underlying the National Families Strategy is clearly set out in recent budget paper, Strengthening and Supporting Australian Families. This states that the government believes strong families are crucial to maintaining a cohesive and compassionate society. Families are at the very heart of Australian life.