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One Parent Families calls for national family strategy
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17/08/04 The following letter from the Chief Executive of the Equal Opportunities Commission and other members of our Parents' and Carers' Coalition is in response to a front-page article in The Guardian Newspaper published on the 17th of August 2004, 'Britian's family revolution'. The letter below was also published on The Guardian website on the 18/08/04.
Your poll revealing the widespread rejection of Britain's culture of long and inflexible working hours (The family revolution) confirms research carried out by the Equal Opportunities Commission on behalf of the Parents' and Carers' Coalition. We found that almost four in ten mothers, one in ten fathers and one in five carers had left or turned down a job because of their caring responsibilities. A third of parents were stressed about finding enough time to spend with their children, rising to 41% of fathers of children under five and nearly half of mothers working full-time. All the political parties need to listen to what voters are saying on this issue - 68% of all adults said that a commitment to more policies to support parents and carers would influence their voting intentions.
Just as Beveridge created the National Health Service by joining up a patchwork of support and services, the UK now needs a national family strategy to create universal, coordinated local services and support for parents, carers and their families. This would guarantee universal and affordable childcare, which parents can rely on like other services such as education. It would introduce higher rates of pay during maternity, paternity and parental leave and more flexibility about how leave is used by mothers and fathers, particularly during the first year of a child's life, giving parents more choice about how they balance work and family. Increased financial support for carers, the right to request flexible working and more responsive respite and care services for frail, ill or disabled people would also ease the strain that many people caring for a relative experience.
It's time our politicians recognised the major social changes that have happened in recent decades and put in place the services and support that people who fulfil the invaluable caring role need.
Caroline Slocock, Chief Executive, Equal Opportunities Commission
36 Broadway
London SW1H 0XH
Brendan Barber, General Secretary, TUC
Liz Kendall, Director, Maternity Alliance
Imelda Redmond, Chief Executive, Carers UK
Katherine Rake, Director, Fawcett Society and Women's Budget Group
Andy Keen Downs, Acting Chief Executive, National Council for One Parent Families
Lorna Reith, Chief Executive, Disability Alliance
Francine Bates, Chief Executive, Contact a Family
Tony Dubbins, General Secretary, GPMU
Nancy Platts, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Daycare Trust
Alison Tarrant, Head of Policy and Campaigns, National Autistic Society
Caroline Waters, Director, People Networks, BT and Chair of Employers for Carers
Arthur Allen, Managing Director, Listawood Holdings (member of Employers for Carers)
Geraldine Willis, County Carers Co-ordinator, Action for Carers Surrey
All the signatories are members of the EOC's Parents' and Carers' Coalition
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