With both the Government and the Conservatives working on new family policy ideas, which look set to become central planks of their manifestos, The Family Commission is very timely. Whatever your politics, families are likely to be a hot topic over coming months.
The Family Commission has already been out on the road gathering the views of families from around the country and holding meetings with opinion formers, politicians and professionals working in the field.
One of the most refreshing things to come out of our conversations with families has been the real optimism. Whether juggling jobs to get through the tough economic climate or meeting the challenges of caring for a disabled child or elderly relative, families were almost universally positive and committed to doing their best. Imagine what they could do with a bit more help!
On this, my first ever blog, I will keep you posted about the Family Commission and relevant developments in family policy. All feedback will be very much appreciated.
Anne Longfield OBE
Starting a Family Revolution – Family Commission report launch
Today, the Family Commission is launching the result of 18 months of hard work, having spoken to families up and down the country about what messages they wanted us to take to Government about their needs and aspirations for the future.
The report released today, Starting a Family Revolution, is both powerful and very timely. It is brimming with evidence of the challenges and solutions that families have - and ...
Iain Duncan Smith gets go ahead for reforms
According to a report in The Times today, Iain Duncan Smith has won his battle with the Treasury over reforms of the benefit system. This will be a root and branch overhaul of the benefit system, with individual benefits streamlined into one ‘universal credit’ which will include payments for things like housing benefit and incapacity benefit.
4Children has replied to the recent Department for Work and ...
Flexible Progress
I'm pleased to see that helping families to strike a healthy work life balance remains a priority in Government. Today the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills announced that the right to request flexible working will be extended to parents of children under 18 from April 2011.
Help in coping with the pressures of balancing work and family commitments has been one of the main asks of families ...
Worrying predictions for child poverty
Today’s Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) report commissioned by the End Child Poverty report contains some bleak predictions. While the full picture will not be clear until the October spending review, the IFS has drawn some worrying conclusions about rising child poverty as a result of the future increases to VAT and other benefit cuts proposed in areas such as housing.
Changes in tax credits for ...
TUC report on social mobility
The TUC has today published a report on social mobility - entitled social mobility. The report highlighted the fact that in Britain 50 per cent of a child's future earning potential is determined at birth, compared to less than 20 per cent in Canada, Australia, Denmark, Norway and Finland. The UK has the worst record on of any of the countries in the Organisation for Economic ...
A GCSE in parenting
Frank Field, the chair of the Government's review into poverty and life chances, has set out his idea of a GCSE in parenting in his first report to the Prime Minister. As part of, or replacing PSHE lessons, he wants pupils in schools to learn about good parenting and how to raise children properly. He said that a formal style exam for 16 year olds ...
Children can wait more than a year to for care rulings
A study by Barnardo’s, widely reported today in the papers and BBC, has revealed that vulnerable children are waiting an average of 57 weeks before the family courts decide on their outcome. In some cases the wait is 65 weeks. Often this means that children are left in unstable family homes or emergency foster placements while they wait for the courts rule on whether to take ...
New study says babies don’t suffer when mums work
Some of the papers this morning are giving good profile to a new study published by the Society of Research in Child Development. The study contradicts a hefty volume of previous reseach that says that a child suffers as a result of mums going back to work within the first year of their lives.
This study says that when additional factors are taken into account, such as increased income which can result in higher ...
Family Commission learn how families are flourishing on visit to Wales
Last Thursday the Family Commissioner went to Cardiff. This visit was part of the Family Commissions national roadshow of events which aims to learn from the best examples of practice around the country and to meet with the range of people involved with families and children.
In a packed day the Commission met with families and professionals who had plenty to tell us about the projects ...
Guest Blog – Meadbh Dempsey(17)
On the 8th of July I went with the family commission to Phoenix High School in Hammersmith and Fulham, North London. The purpose of our visit was to conduct a focus group with about 20 young people aged 14-15, in which we asked them questions about their families and their lives. What we learnt from the focus group will go on to inform the Family ...
