Family Policy over the Longue Durée

This article scrutinises family policy in the OECD area over the past 50 years in order to interpret trends in the longue durée. The analysis suggests that family policy has developed in two periods: ‘a foundational period’ characterised by investment in financial supports for families and employment leave for mothers; and ‘a consolidation period’, during which states tend to increase overall family policy expenditure, diversify family-related leaves and strengthen child-related care services. Over the last decade, there has been both an acceleration of investment in early childhood education and care services – which are now almost as important as cash supports to families – and a continued diversification of family-related leave. These trends are associated with different functional pressures and philosophical or normative considerations in relation to family set in a broad context. The existence of cross-national differences in the strength and direction of reform emphasises the contested and deeply embedded nature of family policy.