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[STRASBOURG, 13 Dcember 2006] – The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe today adopted a recommendation designed to get states to recognise the importance of parental responsibilities and the need to provide parents with enough support to help them fulfil their responsibilities. The Committee of Ministers recommends that member States take all the appropriate legislative, administrative, financial and other measures, in line with a number of principles set out in the text, including: 1. Policies to support families 2. Content of positive parenting 3. Services to support parents 4. Special services for parents at risk of social exclusion The explanatory memorandum includes key messages for parents (Appendix 1) and guidelines for professionals working with children and families (Appendix 2). Positive parenting fosters parent-child relationships based on trust and mutual respect and helps to optimise the child’s development potential. It improves families’ quality of life and is an integral part of a strategy for social cohesion.