Report from leading charity exposes Britain's failure to help families thrive

11 July 2010

A new report has highlighted Britain's failures in terms of building a family friendly society.

The report from the Family and Parenting Institute (FPI) reveals that Britain fails to make the grade on a wealth of family-related issues. The charity's Family Friendly Report Card awards the nation school-style grades on areas family policy. It exposes the successes and failures of the previous Labour government's attempts to protect family life, while pressing David Cameron's new coalition to urgently address key family issues.

The report will be released on July 13 at a Westminster conference which is to be addressed by Children's Minister Sarah Teather. The report sees the country receive a lowly 'D' grade on the cost of raising a child, on elderly care provision and on affordable family housing – three areas which highlight the weighty financial burdens placed upon British families.

An annual survey from insurance and investment group LV= has estimated that raising a child from birth to the age of 21 in Britain now costs £200,000. At the same time, the nation's elderly care crisis means many families are also facing colossal fees over personal care for grandparents.

The nation receives a 'C minus' grade on efforts to tackle child and pensioner poverty, and a 'C' grade on providing adequate maternity and paternity leave. Prohibitive bus and train tickets are also highlighted as an obstacle to family wellbeing, with affordable transport resulting in another 'C' grade.

Work-life balance – an area where Britain outperforms other European nations – scores a 'B' grade. FPI highlights the culture change currently underway in favour of flexible working, allowing many Britons to adequately balance work and family life for the first time.

Overall, however, the country is awarded a mere 'C minus' score for its family friendly status. The Report Card follows a Populus poll released by FPI in April, which revealed only per cent of Britons considered their country to be a very family friendly society.

Dr Katherine Rake, Chief Executive of FPI, said: "The previous Labour administration got many things right on family policy. Sure Start, for example, has been a great leap forward for British children. But Labour failed to fully prioritise families in the way they deserve.

"Our new Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to make Britain a truly family friendly country. This is a laudable ambition. But as the Report Card shows, there is a considerable distance to go before this can be achieved.

"But the new government has a special opportunity to 'family-proof' its new policies, creating conditions that really help families thrive.

"The Family and Parenting Institute will continue to award this country with a family friendly grade every summer in exam season. I am hopeful that we will see improvement made. But for now, the judgement for the 2009-2010 year is 'must try harder' for the UK on family policy."