David Cameron`s new family test

David Cameron has launched a new initiative to put families at the heart of his government, by unveiling a test to ensure that all domestic policies help family life.

Cameron was speaking as new government figures showed that Britain had 500,000 "troubled families", costing the state more than £30bn a year. He is expected to say in a speech on Monday that for too long governments have taken decisions that ignore the impact on family life.

Louise Casey, who is running the government's initiative on troubled families, told the Sunday Times: "These families are off the barometer in the number of problems they have. This is the first time we have been able to evidence the extent of the problems."

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/aug/18/parents-separating-children-family-test-david-cameron

The figure of 500,000 troubled families is quite surprising given that Anne Longfield, Chief Executive of 4Chidren, speaking earlier this year had said that some local authorities were having a problem identifying their share of the 120,000 troubled families thought to exist.

But the problem has always been one of definition. According to Eric Pickles,  "If you live near one you know very well who they are." So he was talking about disruptive families, not troubled families.

However, the official view was that a 'troubled family' had five out seven of the following characteristics:

no parent in work
poor quality housing
no parent with qualifications
mother with mental health problems
one parent with long-standing disability or illness
family has low income
family cannot afford some food or clothing items.
None of those characteristics have anything to do with being a disruptive family. According to the article there is now going to be a renewed focus by helping troubled families who face unemployment, antisocial behaviour, debt and truancy. So the definition of a troubled family has changed and is more in line with Eric Pickles` view.

What does not change is the failure of the government to recognise that unemployment and austerity are stressing whole sections of the population and if they do not `turn around` their economic policies and get people back into work this trend will continue. Pathologising the poor is not the answer.

As for doubling the budget for relationship counselling and encouraging adoptions, these measures are pitiful in light of the bleak futures children in care experience.
See also http://alicemooreuk.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/turning-120000-troubled-families-around.html