This paper argues the need for comprehensive provision of family resource programs. All Australia's families should be able to access the support, information, skills and resources that are necessary for optimal child development and for prevention of child abuse and neglect. The paper argues that there is a significant gap in the general availability of primary prevention family services in Australia. Family resource programs are discussed in terms of their goals, guiding principles, and service models. Examples of these programs both overseas and in NSW are described.

A small project explored how occasional daycare assisted families perceived by referring agents as needing relief from the pressures of constant child care. The results suggested that ‘common sense’ was confirmed and the underlying practice wisdom behind referrals for relief daycare was validated. Respite daycare does assist families with preschool children by acting as a ‘circuit-breaker’, reducing tension and giving breathing space for both parents and children.

The risk of child abuse and neglect is higher in families where the parent(s) abuse substances, with the highest incidence in families where both parents abuse alcohol. The interplay between parental substance misuse and child maltreatment has become a crucial issue in statutory child protection work and consequently for those who work intensively with clients in their homes. Not all children of substance-abusing parents are ‘at risk’ of harm, however, and abstention from drug usage is not always a helpful treatment goal, nor indeed does it necessarily reduce the harm to a child under protective scrutiny.

An evaluation of pre-hearing conferences in the Children's Court of Victoria was carried out during 1994 by five members of staff from the School of Social Work at the University of Melbourne. An interesting theme which emerged from this evaluation is the role of the convenor as pivotal to the process of the pre-hearing conference. The convenor has emerged as a critical figure in the success of the mediation process, and the knowledge, skills, and values they are equipped with are seen as essential to their effective operation. This article describes the role of convenors and the many responsibilities they must juggle in fulfilling their role, and the characteristics which make for an effective and successful conference. As conferences become a more frequent method of resolving conflict between individuals, families and society, it is hoped that the principles which emerge from this article will be applied to other conference proceedings. It is clear that we are moving away from conventional adversarial methods, to mediative and conciliative modes, and in doing so we need to become clear about the characteristics which are required for such processes. This is one exploratory study of a pilot project in Victoria which should be of interest to other conferencing and mediation mechanisms.

In the current debates about citizenship, children and young people are profoundly affected by the exclusionary criteria that determine who is and who is not a citizen. This article asks how young people are currently treated as citizens. The Victorian Crimes Amendment Act (1994) provides a case study illustrating some of the ways young people's rights are denied in Australia. The article also asks how prevalent are certain assumptions that preclude young people from the category of citizenship. In a post-industrial context characterised by rapid transformation of traditional institutions critical to most young people, ie, ‘the family’ and full-time labour market, the importance of the inclusion of young people into the category of citizen becomes apparent.