Time for Parenting...

...because raising children is a full-time job

"Supporting Families": the response

'More than 1,000 responses were received by the Government to last year's Green Paper 'Supporting Families', and not all of them were enthusiastic.

According to the recently-published summary of findings, most respondents welcome one of the Green Paper's more tangible proposals: the establishment of the new Family and Parenting Institute. It is not yet clear exactly how the Institute will operate , although it is suggested that it must support existing parenting organisations rather than try to provide direct services. FTM has made contact with the Institute and will endeavour to contribute to its work, and to put the case for full-time parenting.

Health visitors

Also well-received were the Government's proposal to expand the role of health visitors. But this was against the background of cutbacks in recent years. Funds will be needed to carry out a significant training programme, at a time when health authorites are having difficulties in recruiting the health visitors they need.

Marriage matters

FTM was not the only group to point out the inconsistency between the Goverrunent's declared support for marriage as 'the surest way to bring up children and its failure to give marriage any financial support. In the words of CARE (Christian Action, Research and Education): "current tax and benefit systems and Budget proposals continue to undermine marriage and disadvantage married families". So far, the Government has failed to bring forward any proposals to correct this imbalance.

Family friendly?

As to the need for 'family-friendly' employment policies, neither the employers nor the pressure groups who responded appeared to have anything new to offer. No mention is made of the possibility of career breaks, re-training schemes or more part-time working. Instead, there is talk of days of unpaid leave, or employers being more forgiving of parents taking time off. But tinkering at the ed es like this will do little to reduce the pressure on family life that is created by both parents working full time.

FTM argues that it makes better sense to give mothers the opportunity to leave the workplace altogether for the critical early years of a child's life, but to have the opportunity to return to work later in life.