Single-parent families. More than 1,5 mln, children now live in one-parent families

SINGLE-PARENT FAMILIES

More than 1,5 mln. children now live in one-parent families. A quarter of new-born babies can expect to see their parents divorced before they reach the age of 16, another quarter are born by unmarried mothers. Most of them are brought up on state benefits. And most get no penny of support from absent fathers. The government is determined to tackle this breakdown in the traditional family. They hope to provide a powerful deterrent which will prevent men from fathering children irresponsibly and from abandoning those children they already have. The government attempts at something of a moral counter-revolution and turning back the tide of divorce and single-parenthood. Among politicians there is a growing belief that the government could and should do something about what is seen as a crisis in a family.

That is what some politicians say on the matter:

1)  "... Another area of danger is when children are deprived of the emotions and practical support which they should expect from belonging to a family.

I believe the proponents of the permissive society-talked a lot about rights and they, gave away the fundamental right of a child to be brought up in a real family and now we are reaping the harvest"

2)  "Over the last 15 years we have seen the traditional family disappear. We have unwillingly presided over record levels of marriage breakdown, cohabitation, illegitimate abortion and we have never had more neglected and abused children".

3) "There is a responsibility which all of us have when we become the parents of children which you cannot simply throw away and discard".

4) "If a child is born in a single-parent family he or she has a very high probability of a) not getting enough fооd by comparison with ordinary children, b) dying while still a child, c) being ill while still a child, d) having lower educational attainment, e) not being able to learn how to bring up their own children when their own turn comes".

5) "A high proportion of families are single mothers. They live on little more than half of the two-parent family's income".

6) "Unemployment among the young men is often a crucial factor because   it   reduces   the   availability  of  what   you   might   call   the   old fashioned provider".

7) "All parents have an obligation to maintain their children. And it's not right that they should be able to evade it. We are going to make it more difficult for them to do so".

8) "Marriage is a valuable institution, important for children. Britain now has more divorces than any country in Europe. The divorce process itself encourages couples to separate. It is necessary to reform the process and cut the divorce rate by slowing down the process and making it less confrontational".

9) "I don't think governments cannot significantly influence the moral climate of the nation. However, I think, the government sometimes takes the view that in its social policy it should somehow put a ring fence around the traditional family imposing some kind of moral straight jacket on the nation. Frankly, I don't think that's going to work".

(2) Can you imagine the life of British children in single-parent families (the living conditions, the feelings of the children, the attitude to the parent with whom the child lives and to the parent who has abandoned the family, the attitude to friends, neighbours, teachers)?