The Evolving Role of the Family in Social Welfare
When Social Vulnerability is Detected
When a situation of social vulnerability is detected, appropriate community services should inform the public body. The prosecutor shall be made aware of the situation through the judge or by informing the police. Measures may include temporary or permanent removal from the family environment.
The Welfare System’s Role
The welfare system has a network of centers specializing in child protection. This includes protection centers for homeless persons, children’s homes, and shelters. These provide the most appropriate residential option for a child in distress.
Special Attention for Children Who Violate the Law
Special attention should be given to children who have violated the law. This involves specialized rehabilitation and social integration work in residential or semi-closed settings, as set forth in the judicial decision.
Item 4: Support Systems for the Family
1. Social Changes Affecting the Family
Since the 1980s, there has been increasing legislative and regulatory activity related to the family in most European organizations, national states, and regions. This is driven by two main factors:
- High Value Placed on Family: People place a high value on family in general and their own families in particular. Public powers, therefore, focus on supporting their efforts in settled lawsuits between citizens.
- Intense Social Changes: Intense social changes have occurred in all European countries since the second half of the 20th century. These changes have affected all aspects of family life, including:
- Declining Birth Rates: Rapidly falling birth rates, particularly in countries like Spain and Italy, could lead to a gradual reduction in Europe’s population.
- Growing Aging Population: This is a result of declining birth rates and increased life expectancy.
- Changes in Family Structure and Dynamics: This includes increased divorce rates, fertility among adolescent women in de facto unions, delayed emancipation of children from families, and the incorporation of women into the workforce.
- Shift in Migration Patterns: Changes in migration patterns have also impacted families.
- Emergence of Pluralism: The emergence of pluralism in the last third of the 20th century has challenged traditional family structures.
These family changes challenge many of the implicit assumptions of the welfare state. The presumption of a single, stable job, a nuclear family, and lasting peace throughout life is becoming less common. The traditional model of a stable nuclear family with two or three children, capable of acting as a self-contained unit of solidarity between sexes and generations, is no longer a given.
2. The Family as a Service Provider
The family plays a crucial role in providing services to its members. This includes:
- Care and upbringing of children
- Care in situations of illness
- Care of the elderly
- Managing the consequences of drug use and diseases like AIDS
- Providing prolonged support for children due to longer periods of study and delayed financial independence
- Financial assistance and caregiving within the family network
These services, often performed by a complex but effective family network, are a fundamental element of social organization. They complement public services like hospitals and employment services.
Intergenerational cooperation is a significant form of self-help and support within the family network, particularly in Spain. Parents frequently support their children, and vice versa.
2.1. The Central Role of Women in Family Service Provision
Historically, women have almost exclusively provided the network of services within the family. They have been and continue to be responsible for performing these essential services for both the family and society.
Research on time use in the Community of Madrid reveals that women dedicate a significant portion of their time to household chores and family-related activities. On average, adult women spend five times more time on these activities than men of the same age.
Women typically prioritize the needs of their partners and children, whether or not they work outside the home. They may reduce their work hours or the number of tasks they perform to manage these responsibilities. This often leads to a restriction of their free time.
The rigidity of domestic time, which cannot be easily compressed, forces women to make significant adjustments. Unless they have flexible work arrangements or significantly reduce their working hours, they face constant time constraints.
2.2. The Erosion of the Family’s Service Provider Role
Many experts believe that the family, once a primary source of support, is increasingly relying on external help. Childcare, eldercare, and caregiving for ill family members are often outsourced to professionals.
This trend highlights the challenges modern families face in maintaining their traditional role as the primary provider of services, care, and support to their members.
The approval of Law 39/99 of 5 November, promoting the reconciliation of work and family life, is a crucial step towards helping both women and men balance their work and family responsibilities.