Budget fact sheets 2005 - Families Innovation Fund

The Government is investing nearly $1.8 million over the next four years in the Families Innovation Fund to help develop more responsive family services in local communities.

The Families Innovation Fund was established in 2004/05 with the setting up of the Ministry of Social Development’s Family and Community Services. The fund supports actions at a local level which provide services to strengthen family and community capability. It provides resources to implement action plans from the Local Services Mapping process and to respond to other local initiatives.

Local Services Mapping is a community-wide approach to improving services that support the wellbeing of families and communities. It provides a framework for determining how services provided by central and local government and community agencies can be managed to better meet local needs.

Funding in 2004-05 has been used to promote family focused care for children and young disabled people with disabilities through a demonstration model in Auckland, and to develop the 211 Family and Community Helpline which provides access to services for families and communities.

Over the past six months good progress has been achieved with more than 20 communities confirming their participation in the first round of the mapping exercise. Each mapping exercise will result in an action plan for that community and the Families Innovation Fund will allow for the development of some specific projects from these action plans.