Parents, Poverty and the State : 20 Years of Evolving Family Policy

Naomi Eisenstadt And Carey Oppenheim Explore The Radical Changes In Public Attitudes And Public Policy Concerning Parents And Parenting. Drawing On Research And Their Extensive Experience Of Working At Senior Levels Of Government, The Authors Challenge Expectations About What Parenting Policy On Its Own Can Deliver. They Argue Convincingly That A More Joined-up Approach Is Needed To Improve Outcomes For Children: Both Reducing Child Poverty And Improving Parental Capacity By Providing Better Support Systems. This Is Vital Reading For Policy Makers At Central And Local Government Level As Well As Those Campaigning For The Rights Of Children. Cover Parents, Poverty and the State: 20 Years of Evolving Family Policy Copyright information Table of contents List of tables, figures and boxes List of abbreviations Notes on the authors Acknowledgments One Introduction Parents Poverty Family policy and the state Reducing pressures, increasing capabilities Finally Notes Two Changing ideologies, demographics and attitudes Changing ideologies Changing socio-economic trends Boom and bust Changing families Changing patterns of employment and poverty Housing A diverse population Changing attitudes The emergence of parenting Conclusion Notes Three What do children need? Key concepts and outcomes The impact of family and other factors on child outcomes Phases of childhood development Brain development The parent–child relationship Family stability and relationships Poverty and socio-economic status Families at high risk Conclusion Notes Four The role of government: a changing picture New Labour and active family policy, 1997–2010 Laying the foundations From piecemeal initiatives to an overall strategy: Every Child Matters Increasing capabilities: prevention and early intervention Family policy under the Coalition government Setting the tone: Breakdown Britain Active family policy constrained by austerity Family policy under the Conservatives And then another Conservative prime minister: a different approach Labour’s approach to families and children under Jeremy Corbyn Conclusion Notes Five Improving the lives of children and families What role for evidence? How effective were policies to support families and children? Social security benefits and tax credits Early years education and childcare Service coordination and integration Evidence-based programmes How have policies changed national patterns of advantage and disadvantage for families and children? Public spending on children Poverty and inequality Social mobility for families and children Conclusion Notes Six Learning for the future What have we learned? Tensions to be managed Evidence misused or missing: infant brain development Absence of policy and research Building blocks for the future Note References Index