4. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Services: The Children and Young People’s Plan

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:01 pm on 1 March 2022.

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Photo of Julie Morgan Julie Morgan Labour 4:01, 1 March 2022

Thank you very much, Sam Rowlands, for that important point, and, absolutely, we want to give support to parents. As I said in my response to Jane Dodds, we want to move to a system where we give as much support as we possibly can to parents in order for children to thrive and remain with them, and that's why we have put a lot of investment into parenting classes, why we have help offered to parents through 'Parenting. Give it time', where we give tips about how you can manage the difficult times that you do have as parents—how you deal with the terrible twos and the tantrums and the children who won't eat, and all the things that most of us have been through, where, from my own personal point of view, I was so pleased to have any help or advice coming from Government or from anybody, really. I think that's the way to look at it, that most parents are really looking for advice and help, and I don't think we should ever look at it as the Government coming in and taking the role away from parents. They are there to offer the advice, and, in most cases, people are oh so glad to receive advice and guidance and talk, from health visitors, from GPs, from teachers, from all the voluntary sectors, from all the groups who are there to help and support families. So, I don't think we should ever think of Government trying to take away the role of parents. We're there to help parents, and I think the amount of money and commitment that the Government puts into ensuring that those services are there is a sign of our commitment to parents as well as children.