- Cymraeg
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Peter Black and South Wales West Liberal DemocratsRepresenting Aberavon, Bridgend, Gower, Neath, Ogmore, Port Talbot, and Swansea |
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Assembly Member expresses concern over Government failure to support Children's Centre in Port Talbot
February 15, 2011 3:06 PM
South Wales West Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Peter Black has challenged the First Minister in the Chamber to outline how he will ensure the Children's Contact Centre in Port Talbot gets the support and funding they were promised over a year ago.
Child Contact Centres are a safe, friendly and neutral place where children of separated families can enjoy contact with their non-resident parents and sometimes, with other family members. The Centre in Port Talbot is a volunteer-run child-centred environment that puts the needs of the children first.
In September 2009, The Health, Wellbeing and Local Government Committee recommended that the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) and Welsh Ministers draw up a funding strategy for Child Contact Centres in Wales, including those not currently funded, based on the principles outlined in their report. The Deputy Minister for Social Services accepted that recommendation.
"Fourteen months later and we still haven't heard what the Deputy Minister intends to do" said Mr. Black. "Why hasn't the Minister informed us of the outcome of this evaluation and when can we expect to hear from her?"
"The Contact Centre in Port Talbot provides essential support to children and their families. The First Minister himself described the Contact Centre services as "crucial" and the children as "vulnerable". And yet when questioned on the progress his Government is making on providing this support for children, he simply states "this process is ongoing."
"It is not acceptable that the Port Talbot Contact Centre is still not receiving any public funding and is left facing an uncertain future. I urge the First Minister to speed up this 'process', so that Welsh children do not suffer.
Notes:
"Contact Centres provide support to children who are below the radar, not quite abused or damaged enough to alert the authorities but need to maintain positive contact with birth parents and family, which brings huge long term benefits to the children and their communities." Contact Centre Coordinator.
Recommendation 14
The Committee recommends that:-
The Welsh Ministers consider, with Child Contact Centres in Wales and the NACCC, how Centres in Wales can best be represented and supported at an all-Wales level and in the wider UK context
Response: Accept
Recommendation 15
The Committee recommends that:-
CAFCASS offers Child Contact Centres in Wales that they already fund, immediate three year funding arrangements at the level of their current funding
Response: Accept
Recommendation 16
The Committee recommends that:-
CAFCASS and the Welsh Ministers draw up a funding strategy for Child Contact Centre's in Wales, including those not currently funded, based on the principles outlines in this report.
Response: Accept
I have commissioned CAFCASS Cymru to prepare an evaluation of the effectiveness of the current arrangements, including the provision of funding, in order to identify how balanced provision of contact services across Wales can be achieved.
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