At the beginning of the millennium, Irish family support services are in an expansionary phase. In 1998, the Government launched Springboard, an initiative of 15 family support projects. In 1999, the Government also committed itself establishing 100 Family and Community Centres throughout the country in line with a recommendation in the report of the Commission on the Family.1 In addition, the National Development Plan 2000-2006 contains a substantial allocation of funds to childcare, community and family support, and youth services all of which are supportive, directly or indirectly, of family life.2 The importance of family support has also been underlined in the new Guidelines for the Welfare and Protection of Children which devotes a separate chapter to family support services.