Family support boost

United Future wants every expectant parent to be visited by a "family support co-ordinator" to ensure they have access to all the Government and voluntary services available.

The party's family policy also urges that more money be spent on parenting education.

Party leader Peter Dunne said the co-ordinators would work out of family support centres, which would be "one-stop shops", bringing together key family services. He did not say how much such a scheme might cost.

Mr Dunne said there should also be parenting education in schools and relationship counselling programmes, as family breakdowns cost the country more than $2 billion a year.

The Families Commission, born out of United's 2002 support agreement with Labour, would co-ordinate and promote the programmes.