In their recent press release, Familles de France has called for a national debate to rethink France’s family policy system.
The statement comes after a recent report from the General Inspectorate of Finance and the General Inspectorate of Social Affairs, which proposes several billion euros in savings on family support programmes.
According to Familles de France, the entire family policy system should be reformed, with particular attention to clear and understandable measures for families.
As the organisation pointed out, the system has become increasingly complex, and families themselves do not always understand which measures they are entitled to or what forms of support are available to them.
Three key elements are highlighted as essential to a new approach to family policy: clarity, stability and trust.
Family policy should be based on a long-term vision, as stability is important to build trust among families. This also comes against the backdrop of the demographic decline that France has experienced in recent years. Familles de France therefore stresses the need for long-term investment in public policies to support future generations of families.
Furthermore, to avoid making the system even more fragmented and complex, family support should not focus only on helping lower-income families. It should also recognise the broader reality that having children entails additional responsibilities.
Through its call for a national debate, Familles de France is inviting the State, Parliament, Unaf, the wider family association movement, local authorities, social partners, stakeholders working in the field and, above all, families themselves to take part in the discussion.
