Media release

Future social policy needs to change to match changes in families

19 June 2008

The Kiwi family has changed so much in recent history that the Families Commission has released a new report discussing the importance of social policy keeping pace with their evolution.

The report The Kiwi Nest – 60 years of change in New Zealand families [PDF 875 KB] looks at the different experiences of the three main generations making up today's family – those with parents born before World War II, the families of the baby boomers, and the families of the children of the baby boomers. It looks at how these families have changed and what has influenced those changes.

"Understanding their experiences and their diversity helps us all to design policy and provide services that will meet the needs of these families today and in the future," said Chief Commissioner Rajen Prasad.

Sixty years ago the norm was for dad to work and mum to stay home and raise three, four or more children. They largely had an income they could live on and meet their rent or mortgage payments.

Today people are forming relationships later, having fewer children, there are many more sole parent families, defacto relationships and blended families. In most families both parents are in paid work and fewer people own their own home than they did 60 years ago.

Having such a diverse range of families is a real challenge for the people who are designing policies and services to enhance their wellbeing, he said.

For example, many children are moving in and out of different homes as their parents change relationships and addresses. "Living arrangements for children today can be very complex however some of our policies still tend to reflect the needs of a much more stable, nuclear family," said Dr Prasad.

There are also fewer children being born.

"If we want to maintain the population and help people to successfully balance their work and family life then it's important to look at policies that would support parents to have children or to have more children. This would include extending paid parental leave and improving other family friendly work policies.

"Because our population growth is made up partly by immigration we must also ensure New Zealand remains an attractive place to raise children."

The wellbeing of families is interdependent and vital to the health of the nation and the Commission wants the report to encourage understanding and discussion on the need for policies to be family-centred and responsive to families in all their diversity, said Dr Prasad.