THE CARING FAMILY
POLICY AGENDA
Why the
Family?
Humans are
fragile:
Unlike other
species, it takes 18 years for human beings to fully
develop. Most of this development takes place within the
family. Sound family policies must be a top political and
social priority.
Well developed
humans are critical democratic societies:
The most
important product of families is people. Particularly in the
postindustrial era, people are the real wealth of nations –
in economic terms, its human capital.
Our values,
and ability to respect others, are shaped by our family
experiences:
Families are
the primary transmitters of values. It is in families that
people develop the core belief systems that consciously or
unconsciously determine how we engage in all facets of our
lives, from the personal to the political.
The Purpose of the Caring Family Policy Agenda
The Caring Family
Policy Agenda is as practical as it is principled. It is based
on the shared core moral principles of both religion and
humanism: caring, compassion, justice, and nonviolence. Its
principles and programs are easily articulated and have powerful
emotional appeal.
The Caring
Family Agenda has three components:
- Declaration
of Children’s Rights
- Strong
American Family Partnership
-
Family-friendly American Economy
1. A Declaration of Children’s Rights
The Bill of Rights for Children. Strengthening the rights of
children to have a fair opportunity to grow up healthy and
thrive. This Bill of Rights for Children includes the right to
shelter, nutrition, education, health care, freedom from
violence, and a clean environment.
- Care for
Every Child. Ensuring that all children have high
quality health care and child care. This benefits children,
families, the economy, and society.
- Preschool
for All. Guaranteeing access to comprehensive preschool
education as a basis for life-long learning.
- Quality
Education. Focusing on the quality of each child’s
education rather than on high stakes testing.
- Safe
Children Initiative. Protecting children from violence
in the family, in schools, and when children are in the
custody of the state.
- Education
for Responsible and Loving Family Relations. Mandatory
family life education in schools based on scientific
findings about best parenting practices.
-
Prevention First: Ensuring Every Child Is Wanted.
Education for abstinence and responsible contraceptive use
is the key to reducing abortions and ensuring that every
child born is born to loving parents.
- Safety
and Good Loving Care for Children in Foster Care and
Adoptive Homes and Rehabilitation of Children in State
Custody. This saves lives – and tax dollars.
2. A Strong American Family Partnership
Families based on
partnership, mutual respect, and caring are foundational to a
free, equal, and democratic society.
- National
Family Health Initiative. An affordable national health
care system, prenatal to lifelong, focusing on wellness and
prevention of illness is essential not only for human
wellbeing but for national wellbeing. It is unfair to put
this burden solely on employers, it is our job as a
democratic nation.
- Safe
Families Initiative. Education, better enforcement of
domestic violence laws, and increased state funding for
shelters for battered women and children are critical to
stop intimate violence, which teaches children that it is
acceptable to use violence to impose one’s will on others.
-
Fulfilling the American Dream of Equality. Equality
between women and men promotes healthy relationships as well
as a healthy, democratic, and caring society.
-
Respecting Every Family Initiative. It is America’s
moral duty to respect and support every committed monogamous
relationship.
3. A Family-Friendly American Economy
Studies show that
worker productivity rises exponentially when there is a
life/work balance -- that investment in families and children
ensures a stronger economy and a healthier society. This is an
investment that the nation must make, our corporations cannot
carry it alone and still compete in a global economy.
-
State-funded Child Care with well trained licensed
caregivers, as well as tax and other incentives for
employers to provide good childcare.
- Universal
Paid Family Leave including family and medical leave for
both fathers and mothers of babies as well as caregivers for
elderly parents provided by the state or through tax and
other incentives for employers.
- Universal
Accurate Measures of Economic Productivity that Include the
Substantial Economic Value of the Caring and Caregiving Work
in Households. Statistical analyses in the U.S. and
other nations show that the value of unpaid work is be the
largest contributor to economic productivity, and should
therefore be included in measures such as GDP.
- Living
Wage Legislation enacted at the local, state and federal
levels.
- Caregiver
Tax Credit to give visibility and value to the invisible
caregivers that keep our economy going, and for those below
the poverty line, a stipend in the amount of the credit as a
step toward addressing the disproportionate poverty of
caregivers.
- Workplace
Rules that Enable Parents to Spend Time with Children,
including flex time, telecommuting, and increased vacation
and sick leave.
- Laws that
Phase Out Corporate Practices that Harm Families and
Children – from toxic dumps and other forms of
environmental pollution, to marketing of unhealthy food and
drinks to children.
Compassionate Family Values for All Americans
The Caring Family
Policy Agenda can be embraced by all – right and left, liberal
and conservative, secular and religious. We must further this
agenda to build strong healthy families and a just, caring, and
prosperous society.
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