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Social Work vocabulary · Children, Families and Care

Family support

Meaning in social work, with examples

nounCore term

In social work, family support means: Services that help families cope with difficulties and bring up their children well, such as parenting groups, practical help and family support workers.

In Turkish: aile destek hizmetleri, aileye destek

How it is used

Usually voluntary and offered early, before problems become serious. A family support worker often visits the home to help with routines, budgeting or school attendance, working alongside the social worker.

Example sentences

  1. The parents accepted family support after the second referral from school.

  2. A family support worker visits twice a week to help with bedtime routines.

Common collocations

  • family support worker
  • family support services
  • offer family support
  • early family support
  • early interventionGiving support as soon as problems appear, often in early childhood, so that they do not grow into more serious difficulties later.
  • parenting capacityA parent's ability to meet a child's needs and keep them safe, including basic care, emotional warmth, guidance, boundaries and stability.
  • child in needIn UK law, a child who needs extra services to reach or keep a reasonable standard of health or development; every disabled child is included.
  • interventionAny planned action taken by a social worker or service to improve a person's or family's situation, from counselling to practical support.

More terms: Children, Families and Care

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