An official Catholic welfare agency, Centacare, has been awarded government contracts to operate new family relationship centres across Australia, writes Mark Brolly.

Frank Quinlan, the executive director of the church-run umbrella agency, Catholic Social Services Australia, welcomed the Government's 24 January announcement that Centacare agencies would be involved in 10 of the 25 new family relationship centres. Mr Quinlan said the centres would provide support for couples before and during marriage and also help separating couples focus on the interests of children through mediation rather than litigation.

But the decision has aroused opposition, with the Greens party Senator, Rachel Siewert, questioning the philosophy of some faith-based centres, saying people needed "independent, unbiased advice". She told Melbourne's Age newspaper that the  centres were being "set up to fail". It was not always possible or desirable for couples to go into dispute resolution or to share parenting responsibility, she said.