At St. Anthony’s we are very aware of the need to tackle the plight of abused and vulnerable children at grass roots level. We know that PREVENTION is always better than seeking a cure and so we want to assist children and families before the Department of Social Development have to intervene. Family Preservation is our early intervention and prevention Programme.

There is a great enthusiasm in St. Anthony’s to transform our work from purely caring for children in a Residential Centre, to reaching out to our communities and assisting families to care for their children where they are. Removing a child from their family, their home, their school and community can cause more difficulties than it seeks to solve. Therefore, we have developed a strategy for preserving families and preventing the removal of children, so that children no longer have to grow up in an ‘institution’.

The following Projects are contained in the Family Preservation Programme:

• Parenting Skills
• Intensive Family Support
• Community Gardens