Family Trends and Policy

A new publication from the Family and Parenting Institute says that the nuclear family is breaking down, with relations outside of the family unit increasingly getting involved with parenting tasks. Other findings in the report highlighted the changing role of fathers, the increase in mothers that work, and a rise in the number of cohabiting couples. Although the full report, entitled Family Trends, is not available online, this speech from the Institute's Chief Executive summarises its main conclusions.

This month actually marks the 10th anniversary of the Family and Parenting Institute, which they have marked by releasing Ten years of Family Policy: 1999–2009, an excellent introduction to developments in this area in England over the past decade, with a lengthy references list for further reading. Those of our readers already working in this field may also be interested in the Institute's new booklet Knowing what you do Works: Measuring your Own Effectiveness with Families, Parents and Children: a Short Guide, and it's accompanying briefing sheet: Examples of Effective Measuring Tools.