Examine the ways in which social policies and laws may influence families and household.'I say to the children of two parent families, one parent families, foster parent families, to the widow bring up children: I stand for a Britian that supports as first class citizens, not just some children and some families but support all children and all families.' - Gordon Brown, the 2007 Labour Party Conference.
Labour's polices tend to support all forms of families and aim to take all children out of proverty. One of the Labour New Deal Schemes designed all lone parents are required to attend an annual interview about job opportunities, which try to help lone parents, especially rge lone mothers to find paid employment, and they can raise their children successfully by not 'marrying to the state'.
Furthermore, Labour appointed a Minister for children in 2003, and in 2007, the new Department for childre, schools and Families has been formed.Labour recognise the incresing diversty of family life, however, Labour said, ' marriage is still the surest foundation for raising children.'Conservatives tend to see the 'married family' as the best social arrangement for raising children.
In 1991, the Child Support Agency (CSA) forced absent fathers to pay maintenance for their children as the government claimed that this would help lone mothers.'The natural state should be the two-adult family caring for their children'. - John Redwood, a conservative MP, stated 1993.New Right politicians believe that the family is in decline, as there's a great increase in lone-parent families, cohabitation etc.
They agree that family diversity is a reality and therefore government should support all type of family forms. By the way, a 'traditional family' is always the best, the healthiest condition to reproduce, educate future generations, so, would that be possible the government see the nuclear family as the ideal whilst it is supporting all family types?