Family values

A belief that loving, values-based families build strong, compassionate societies.

In a survey for the Centre for Social Justice more than 2,000 people were asked which of the following two families they would choose for their children - if their children had to be adopted:

FAMILY 1: Two parents who owned their own home and car; who always had enough money to buy your children the latest clothes and pay for interesting after-school activities; who were able to afford a nanny to look after the children when they had to go out and regularly work late or go on business trips; who thought that all children experiment with sex and drugs and that your children would go through that phase, too, and not much could be done about it.

FAMILY 2: Two parents who were never going to earn a great deal of money but, every month, they put a small amount aside for a rainy day; the father worked in a factory and the mother stayed at home with the children; they believed that your children should be brought up to avoid cigarettes, alcohol and any kind of sexual relationship until they were at least 17 or 18.

87% of people chose family 2 - only 13% chose family 1 for the care of their children.

This YouGov survey suggests that people have a good understanding of the insufficiency of materialism, the importance of character education, the value of full-time parenting, and the danger of ‘condom compassion’.

It is certainly true that many families struggle to live by these 'family values' but they still believe in them.

Isn't it time that governments supported these family values? Other surveys have shown that 80%+ of young people want to marry. The aspiration endures and public policy could do more to support it. This policy toolkit and family impact statement definitions outline how it might.

Comments

[deborah]

Yes, it certainly is.