Family charity ask for more government support

A charity is hoping to "wake the government up" to the importance of early intervention support for children and families in Jersey.

Brighter Futures supports families, parents and young people in the island and said it had supported more than 4,500 families since it began in 2008.

The charity said it had received 8.7% of its projected costs from the Children, Young People, Education and Skills Department but it still needed to raise more than £1m to operate. The government said supporting families was "a priority".

CEO Fiona Brennan said support in the early stages of childhood made "a massive difference" for families but also "the whole community".

The charity provides one-to-one support as well as wellbeing programmes to families.

Brennan said: "It's really vital early intervention is available for families because it grows the community, but for those children, it's their future.

"It's the responsibility of the whole government of Jersey because this is families and that's what the politicians and the government should be supporting.

"I think they need, as a whole area of departments, to work together to support Brighter Futures families."

Brennan added funding the early years of islanders was crucial to Jersey's future.

She said: "If you can't get that early intervention in place it costs the island more, it costs the community more."

The government said: "Commissioning responsibilities sit with individual departments, and CYPES is the department responsible for children, young people, and families.

"CYPES continues to work closely with Brighter Futures and other partners to ensure families receive the support they need."

Will Quince, CEO of early years charity 1001 Critical Days Foundation, said the first 1,001 days of a child's life was important.

He said it was "when the building blocks of life are formed and the brain develops at a faster point".

Quince added: "Being a parent can be really challenging and daunting, it's an amazing time, but it's also challenging, and that's without life's other complexities."

Quince said it was "absolutely critical" for parents and families to be supported.

He said: "It's not just an investment in that baby or that family, it's an investment in the healthy society that you want to see and aspire to, because these babies grow up to be the adults in our society.

"So that investment, that support for parents and families, is absolutely critical and politicians and policy makers really do need to recognise that and invest in it."

Chief officer Robin Smith, from States of Jersey Police, will run the London Marathon in April in aid of Brighter Futures.

Smith said: "If there's a better charity to run for, I don't know what that is.

"It's not my first ever marathon, I think this is going to be maybe four or five, but I can absolutely confirm I'm not a runner."

He added: "Early intervention, trying to stop particularly young people getting into trouble early, that's worth investing in.

"Supporting families, bringing up children in our island so they can grow up, be prosperous, happy, etc., that's got to be a good thing, right?"

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