Family policies’ long-term effects on poverty: a comparative analysis of single and partnered mothers

This study investigates whether generous family policies at the transition to parenthood reduce single and partnered mothers’ economic disadvantages later in the life course. Previous research usually focused on the immediate effects of family policies and disregards potential longer-term effects. In this study, we suggest taking a life-course perspective to study the relationships between family policy and mothers’ poverty risks. We empirically investigate how investment in child benefits, childcare services and parental leave measures at the transition to parenthood are associated with poverty outcomes at later life stages and whether these associations hold over time. We draw on pooled EU-SILC data, and an original policy dataset based on OECD expenditure data for child benefits, childcare and parental leave from 1994 to 2015. We find that mothers’ observed increase in poverty over time is slower in countries with high levels of spending for childcare at the transition to parenthood than in lower spending countries. The gap between partnered and single mothers was also diminishing in contexts of high childcare expenditure. For the other two policies, we did not find these links. These results do lend support to the claim that childcare is a prime example of a social investment policy with returns later in the life course and represents a life-course policy that seems to be able to disrupt economic path dependencies. The results for the other two policies suggest, however, a limited potential of family policy spending at transition to parenthood to reduce the poverty gap between partnered and single mothers over the course of life.

State Policy Towards Demographic Changes in Poland

The aim of the article is to show that the modern civilization of technological, medical, structural and world-view progress determines the negative changes in the structure of families and the growth of the elderly population. Among the research hypotheses, in particular, it should be pointed out that the modern family policy should take into account the procreative context, as well as the family context with the participation of the older generation, as a consumer and participant in market services. The conclusions proposed by the authors concern a number of solutions in the field of social policy. The unfavorable demographic situation in the European Union raises specific challenges for social and demographic policy, among which, we should point out the changes in attitudes and individual behavior towards marriage and starting a family, changes in procreation attitudes, improving the quality of life of all generations, ensuring active participation of all generations in the demographic and socio-economic development of the country. The article has been written using the following research methods: descriptive, comparative and historical analysis.

Assessing the awareness of young people in Yakutsk of the municipal youth policy implementation

В «Основах государственной молодежной политики Российской Федерации на период до 2025 года» стратегическим приоритетом названо создание условий для формирования личности гармоничной, постоянно совершенствующейся, эрудированной, конкурентоспособной, неравнодушной, обладающей прочным нравственным стержнем, способной при этом адаптироваться к меняющимся условиям и восприимчивой к новым созидательным идеям. Молодёжную политику в городе Якутске реализует Управлением общественных связей и молодежной политики, которое является отраслевым (функциональным) органом местной администрации, входящим в структуру Окружной администрации города Якутска. Управление обеспечивает осуществление полномочий в сфере молодежной и семейной политики на территории города. Ежегодно Управление проводит множество мероприятий в рамках реализации программ муниципальной молодежной политики: акций помощи, деловых и развлекательных игр, молодёжных форумов и т.д. Одной из слабых сторон молодежной политики является неполный охват целевой аудитории, отсутствие координации между отдельными участниками молодежной политики, неосведомленность молодежи о молодежной политике в целом и мероприятиях, проводимых в рамках осуществления программ молодежной политики. В статье представлены результаты исследования информированности молодёжи г. Якутска о муниципальной молодежной политике в целом и о деятельности Управления общественных связей и молодежной политики. Исследование проводилось путем простого анкетирования, проводимого в электронной форме посредством Google-анкет. Кроме анализа ответов, в ходе исследования были изучены различные информационные источники на предмет полноты освещения реализуемой молодежной политики. На основе полученных данных были сделаны выводы о недостаточной информированности молодежи и предложены некоторые мероприятия, которые могут способствовать как получению информации, так и оценке реализации молодежной политики, установлению обратной связи. In the “Fundamentals of the State Youth Policy of the Russian Federation for the Period up to 2025”, the strategic priority is the creation of conditions for the formation of a harmonious personality, constantly improving, erudite, competitive, not indifferent, possessing a strong moral core, capable of adapting to changing conditions and receptive to new creative ideas. The youth policy in the city of Yakutsk is implemented by the Department of Public Relations and Youth Policy, which is a sectoral (functional) body of the local administration, which is a part of the structure of the District Administration of the city of Yakutsk. The Department ensures the exercise of powers in the field of youth and family policy in the city. Every year, the Department holds many events within the framework of implementing the municipal youth policy programs: charity actions, business and entertainment games, youth forums, etc. One of the weaknesses of the youth policy is incomplete coverage of the target audience, lack of coordination between individual staekholders, lack of awareness of the youth of the youth policy in general and activities carried out within the framework of the youth policy programs. The article presents the results of a survey of the awareness of young people in Yakutsk of the municipal youth policy in general and about the activities of the Department of Public Relations and Youth Policy. The research was done by means of a simple questionnaire, carried out in electronic form using Google-questionnaires. In addition to analyzing the answers, in the course of the study, various information sources were studied for the completeness of coverage of the implemented youth policy. Based on the data obtained, conclusions were drawn about the lack of awareness of young people and some measures were proposed that could contribute to both obtaining information and assessing the implementation of youth policy, establishing feedback.

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Family Policy Challenges in Meeting the European Union’s Standards and Recommendations

Family policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s entities (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic Srpska) is incoherent, with its different elements being scattered across different ministries and levels of government. The system is found to be inapt to respond to the needs of families, thus enhancing gender inequalities in the labour market and within families. As a country aspiring to join the European Union, Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with other countries of the Western Balkans region, participates in regular policy dialogue with the European Union institutions. The latest European Commission assessment of the country’s Economic Reform Programme identifies low employment of women as one of the key challenges and implicitly calls for the country to develop an employment-oriented family policy. By analysing the system of family policy and its recent policy developments, the article assesses the country’s capacity to respond to the recommendation and create conditions for greater participation of women in the labour market. The question is whether the European Union’s conditionality and recommendations have the potential to transform the current family policy arrangements in the entities. Key words: work-family policy, female employment, gender inequalities, maternity leave, parental leave, early childhood education and care services, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Does Regional Political Representation affect the Provision of Childcare in Austria?

Historically the provision of childcare was one of the forgotten areas of Austrian family policy. During the last decade, a lot of effort was made to catch up with other European countries, but notable subnational differences between the regions and municipalities persist. This paper engages with the arising question: Does regional political representation affect the provision of childcare in Austria? Based on a unique longitudinal dataset (2003-2018) containing yearly measures for 1789 Austrian municipalities, several hierarchical regression models are calculated. The results reveal a significant effect of gender and partisan dimension, as well as an interaction effect between those dimensions.

Freedom and Gender Equality in EU Family Policy Tools

The aim of this article is to look critically at the implications of gender equality concepts for individual freedom as conceptualised by the philosopher Isaiah Berlin. The scientific literature addressing the problem of freedom and gender equality with regard to public policy is considerably fragmented. Based on contextual literature, this article will offer four concepts of freedom that serve as analytical categories. I will analyse work/family reconciliation policy tools as introduced at the level of the European Union and reconnect them to three traditions of gender equality. The article reflects on historically embedded dichotomy between positive and negative freedom visible in gendered distinction between public and private. The main findings show that the relationship between freedom and equality is mediated by the selected policy tools suggesting that some policy tools expand freedom of all individuals while others indicate a possible limit for freedom.

Different, Yet the Same: Three Decades of Family Policy Change in Hungary, Lithuania and Romania

The article analyses over-time changes in family transfers in Hungary, Lithuania and Romania from 1990-2018 to seek evidence of similarity in the ethos of policy adaptation. Informed by recent scholarship signalling growing disparities in social entitlements along socio-economic lines in Hungary and Romania, the analysis assesses whether three decades of change in family transfers in three different policy contexts might exhibit the selective, pro-wealthy ethos of social policy transformation described. Using data from an original dataset drawing on exhaustive social legislation pertaining to family allowances, family tax breaks and paid parental leave-related transfers, the article shows that, for most of the last three decades, institutional dualisms in the protection of families with dependent children have grown. Policy drift undercuts the rights of the neediest and policy layering leads to programme expansion targeting dual-earner, high-income families especially. This trend has intensified over the last fifteen years and is most evident in paid leave schemes.

When a crisis undermines quality public service provision: Romanian early childhood education and care through the SARS-Cov-2 epidemic

What appeared to be the success of many Eastern European states in managing the toll of the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic in its first round has been attributed to the early introduction of strict lockdown. However, erring on the side of caution came at a high price, with mixed economies of welfare shifting sometimes radically towards families, with the related costs unevenly distributed. Using the case of early childhood education and care (ECEC), the article explores the specifics of what has been a more general pattern in epidemic-induced social policy adaptation in the Romanian context: the overnight, radical and prolonged individualisation of service provision without the corresponding remaking of the cash nexus. It expands on the timeline of government decisions on family policy adaptations, including ECEC service provision. The article also reviews fragmented evidence about the impact of ECEC service suspension on the mixed economy of early years care. The article explains how and why the Romanian government was able to effectively suspend ECEC service delivery between March and September 2020 while keeping related financial arrangements practically unaltered, and do so without open protest. The Romanian case reveals how and why a family policy environment historically characterised by fragmented, selective and partially adequate provision, directly and indirectly maintaining the familialisation of young children’s care, acts as a catalyst for more of the same in hard times: fragmented, selective and only partially adequate intervention. In conceptual terms, the article suggests that familialist family policy is particularly sticky, more so in times of crisis than in ‘good’ times.