Probe into state support is set up

A commission has been set up to examine the relationship between
the state and the family.

The 15-person body will focus on issues such as where
parents’ responsibilities should end and government’s
should begin.

The intention is to bring clarity to questions such as how much
support should be offered to families with children, and when the
state should intervene.

The commission will be chaired by Professor Michael Rutter from
King’s College London and includes a mixture of academics and
senior people from the voluntary sector.

The commission has been set up by the National Family and
Parenting Institute and children’s charity NCH. It is
supported by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

The NFPI has invited responses to a consultation exercise to
inform the commission’s work.

– The questions for consultation can be downloaded from: www.nfpi.org.uk/data/research/cfwc.htm