ABSTRACT
Child welfare services have been engaged in considerable debate about the role and function of state support services since the inception of the Children Act 1989. More recently the Government has introduced the consultation document Supporting Families. Both the Children Act and the consultation document identify the role of the state in promoting effective parenting and family life. The relationship between these two initiatives is explored in this chapter and it is argued that the ineffective implementation of the Children Act undermines the more recent policy initiatives presented in the consultation document.
