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Family Support—The First Option for Families in Great Stress

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2024

Margaret Matters
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Synopsis:

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The aim of this paper is to present Family Support as the optimal choice for the long-term well being of children of families in great stress. (This may be the primary professional resource or may be in combination with alternative care).

These families are described elsewhere as “multi deficit”, “multi problem”, “hard to reach”, “hardcore” and “excluded families”, meaning excluded from the day to day services of our community. Not only do these families fear rejection and failure so do not attempt to use ordinary community services and resources such as community houses, libraries, maternal and child health nurses etc., but these services feel uneasy and poorly equipped to handle these families and their perceived needs.

A multi-service agency is required to effect change where there has been an inter-generational cycle of deprivation which gives rise to a “poverty of experience.”

We will demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach through a case study where long-term fostercare seemed a likely outcome.

This paper presents a distillation of the knowledge about families and methods of working with them, that has grown and developed over the past 10 years at Careforce Outer East.

Type
Research Article
Information
Children Australia , Volume 14 , Issue 3 , 1989 , pp. 3 - 6
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

References

Further Reading

1. Kaplan, L., Working with Multi-Problem Families. Lexington Books 1986.Google Scholar
2. Fraiberg, S., Adelson, E. & Shapiro, V., Ghosts in the Nursery. A psychonanalytic approach to the Problems of the Impaired Infant other Relationships J. Am. Acad. Child Psych., 387–421 (1976).Google Scholar
3. Lidz, T., The Person—His Development Throughout the Life Cycle. Basic Books N.Y. & London 8th print 1968.Google Scholar
4. Tiddy, S., Creative Co-Operation Involving Biological Parents in Long Term Foster Care. Jrn. Child Welfare Volum L & V No. 1 Jan/Feb 1986.Google Scholar
5. Monica, Gydal, Hard to Reach Families— a Dilemma of Treatment in the Work with Children who are in Grave Danger. Nic Waals Institute, Spangbergu, Oslo Norway. Unpublished paper presented at Internal Conference on Child Abuse, Sydney 1986.Google Scholar
6. Anthony, G.J. & McGinnis, M., Counselling Very Disturbed Parents from Helping Parents to Help their Children, Brunner/Mezel N.Y.C. Google Scholar
7. Miller, J. and Whittaker, J., Social Services and Social Support: Blended Programs for Families at Risk of Child Maltreatment. Child Welfare/Volume LXVII Number 2/March April 1988.Google Scholar
8. Anderson, P. and Weekes, E., Family Aide Work with ‘At Risk’ Families. A Retrospective Study. Unpublished paper of Family Action Organisation, Melbourne 1986.Google Scholar