Family Focus January 2012

Family income drops mapped until 2015
An Institute for Fiscal Studies report, released this month, is the first to reveal the prospects for poverty rates and income for different family types up to the year 2015.

The study, commissioned by the Family and Parenting Institute, reveals that families with children will be worst affected by falling incomes. It also demonstrates that:

- Families with children aged under five, families with more than two children, and lone parent families not in paid work bear the biggest financial pain in years ahead

- The median income among families with children is projected to fall between 2010 and 2015 by 4.2%. For a couple with two children this equates to £1,250 less a year by 2015

The agenda-setting report won a Daily Express front page headline and won coverage on the BBC Six O’Clock News You can read it in full here

UK children and unhappiness
A survey by the Children’s Society has revealed half a million UK children – almost one in ten – are unhappy with their lives. It has also revealed that relationships at home affect a child’s emotional wellbeing more than whether their family is traditional or non-traditional in structure. You can read the report here.

Rethink on Child Benefit?
In October 2010 the Chancellor announced plans to scrap child benefit for higher taxpayers. The plans are now being revised to protect stay-at-home mothers. See here for more details and here for the Family and Parenting Institute’s reaction.

The items in this month’s digest include: the IFS analysis, prepared for FPI, examining the impact of recent fiscal and policy changes on family income and child poverty across different family types; UK child poverty mapping research; research examining the main dimensions of childhood well-being and proposing key priorities for a happy childhood; government strategy on troubled families and up to date statistics on UK families and households. See here for more details.

See our calendar of seminars, conferences and other events for those who work professionally or voluntarily with families. Do you have an event you would like to appear on this calendar? Send brief details to info@familyandparenting.org

Future Homes Commission call for evidence
The Future Homes Commission, set up by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is conducting an inquiry into the quality of newly built housing with the aim of understanding how people live today, what they need and expect from their homes and whether the design and delivery of new homes is fit for purpose. It has announced a call for evidence, asking the public, the house building industry, architects, academia and policy makers to submit their views on the future of housing in Britain. The Commission will report back in autumn 2012. Full details of the inquiry and how to respond to the call can be found on the RIBS Homewise website.

Resources

Tips for parents with young children

Being a parent of a young child can be exhausting at the best of times. But at this grim time of year, with families often stuck indoors, caring for a toddler can be particularly hard work. From Breakfast to Bedtime is full of useful tips on keeping small children content – and is ideal for professionals to use in parenting classes. See here for to learn more and find order details.