Media release
Families Commission releases Focus on Families Report
13 October 2005
Families say competing pressures on their time and money, childcare difficulties, a lack of parenting support, and some government policies can all affect their success as a family.
A study of families with dependent children by the Families Commission shows that families believe there are changes that could be made that would have a positive impact on their family and the future of their children.
The study, Focus on Families: Reinforcing the Importance of Family is the result of focus group discussions held around the country analysed in combination with the findings of relevant existing research.
The results show that people place a high value on the family unit and experience similar pressures on their family life. Understanding more about these difficulties helps the Commission identify which issues to highlight in its advocacy, public information, policy advice, and community engagement.
Chief Commissioner Rajen Prasad says "This research clearly shows that families don't succeed in isolation, they need support from their neighbours, communities, policy makers and wider society. For instance, the findings around time constraints on families suggest a need for employers and families to examine ways of improving work/life balance. As part of this, families could also look at better ways of sharing out the household and childcare responsibilities."
Parenting was seen as important. Those who had attended parenting education or support programmes felt they were helpful but realised that the right type of assistance wasn't always readily available or well-promoted. They also wanted asking for parenting advice to be seen as 'the norm'.
The focus groups, made up of a cross section of people with dependent children, were asked about their family life and the external influences on them. This included what they thought made a family successful, what made it difficult, and what they considered would be good outcomes for them and their children. The views of young people and children were also sought in specific focus groups.
In general, people felt successful families were those who could cope with the difficult issues that life threw at them. They were thought to have strong internal relationships and to have an acceptable balance between the time spent at work with family, or on individual pursuits. Good communication and adequate income were also important.
Parents' hopes for their families were centred largely on their children. Many said they would measure their success as a family by how their children lived their adult lives. Parents wanted their offspring to grow into responsible, well educated, happy and economically self-sufficient adults.
Work-life balance was also important, with many of those on low incomes and sole parents experiencing the most difficulty in getting the balance they wanted. Many felt access to appropriate childcare, financial and/or tax assistance, flexible working conditions and other supports would be helpful.
Dr Prasad said "The responses from families support existing Commission work. For instance, the concerns about parenting reinforce our call for a national strategy on parenting support, including nationwide access to parenting programmes." he said.
"The complex influences on families also show how important it is to have family-centred public policies and programmes. The Commission has a project underway to help assess these policies to make sure they are family-friendly."
A further report that reflects the views of the 3,700 families who answered similar questions through the Commission's What Makes Your Family Tick? public consultation process will be available later in the year and will supplement this study.