The Positive Action Group had Mrs Anne Craine MHK as their guest speaker last evening. Anne gave a very well presented and thought provoking talk on "Counting the Cost of Families in Crisis".

She told us that she places great store on family values and the community. She went on to prove it.

She spoke about parents today being seen more as "providers" rather than "carers", which in her view was the wrong way around. The nuclear family is breaking down. There are major health concerns over healthy eating with lunch box audits in many schools. She said that the IOM has the poorest dental health in the British Isles. Moreover, we have low levels of breast feeding which is essential for good bonding between mother and baby especially in the first 6 months.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has pointed out in an article entitled "Good Childhood Family" that child rearing needs to be changed, and that infant deaths result from violence within often dysfunctional families.

In the IOM 16,399 children and young persons receive child benefits. 2250 children are covered by the family income supplement. The budget for the DHSS for children is £13.6 million p.a.

The Employment Bill supports parenting in the early years with maternity leave and also paternity leave rights, the latter being unpaid. Flexible working also helps.

It is important to get the right balance in the early life of a child as the first two years of life is responsible for later patterns of behaviour. "Give me the child till he is seven and I will give you the man" is a truism.

In the UK 67% of women return to work within six months of child birth (2001). In Mrs Craine's view the mother should have far more support at home. She asked " What is the sustainable level of our economy for our community?" She wanted far more being put into family values.

Parents should prioritise care over provision. Maternity and paternity leave should be extended to two years Tax incentives, means testing and child benefitis should be reviewed to enable better parenting. Breast feeding should be emphasised to ensure the proper maternal relationship and to provide more self esteem in the later life of children. She was critical of parents, through no fault of their own but as the result of financial problems, both having to work to pay the mortgage, having to place their children in nursery schools rather than spending time with the mother at home. One example of good practice she thought was the Scandinavian model where children don't start school till they are seven. Mrs Craine felt Government policy was enticing children away from their families.

During a long question time it transpired that there are some 147 tests for children between 5 and 16 years of age. Many within the audience , possibly everyone, supported the need for parents to be helped in bringing up children. There was a call for more discipline within the family to prevent the "yob" culture which seems to be prevalent. Youths do not seem to know about courtesy and right behaviour. Perhaps the parents themselves do not as well.

One question which wasn't raised was the effect on children of not always being able to have contact with their grand parents. There are many instances in the IOM of grand - parents living in England and vice versa ,of grandparents living in the IOM with the grand children being across. It is always distressing to see the concern of each when this question is raised. Could I suggest a special travel fare deal to help with this problem?

Any comments?

E & O.E.