This timely book examines parental rights to 'welfare state support' and parental responsibilities for child welfare in relation to recent social policy agendas pursued by the Labour government in the UK in the context of child well-being research, state welfare analysis and sociological research about parental perspectives and the multiple contexts of parenting and childhood. It calls for notions of parental rights and responsibilities which are more responsive to the diversity of parental perspectives and parenting contexts. The book is valuable reading for students, researchers and practitioners in social policy and child and family services.
Introduction; Part one: The broader context: Conceptualising child, family and social well-being; Socio-economic change and social well-being trends; Children, families and welfare state restructuring; Part two: UK social policy developments 1997-2010; Welfare to work measures and financial support for families; Childcare and family-friendly employment policies; Parental and family support services; Part three: Research on parental perspectives: Parenthood and parenting in context; Negotiating work and family life; Part four: Policy implications: Conclusion: rights and responsibilities for child, family and social well-being.
