Families in trouble, according to the state of the family.

Families in trouble, according to the state of the family.

Families get stuck because of insufficient family-friendly facilities in the Netherlands. This emerges from the research report the state of the family 2024. An unequal share of care tasks at home, expensive childcare and the wage gap are just some of the causes parents mention. Parents still find the balance between work, family and care the biggest challenge. And that does not seem to get easier.

From the state of the family 2024 it appears that families increasingly get stuck because they do not get the right support. This makes it difficult for parents to balance their work and care tasks. They also feel that the Netherlands has become less supportive of families. They give the Netherlands a 4.1 for this, while last year it was 4.6. On the other hand, parents rate the family-friendliness of the Netherlands better. Last year they gave the Netherlands a 6.6, this year they gave a score of 7.1.

Towards two earners two carers model 

Care tasks within the family still mostly fall to mothers. There is no equal division between partners. This is because the Netherlands is still set up so that one partner (formerly usually the man) earns money outside the home and the other handles care tasks at home. Now almost 87% of families have two working parents. Parents are not satisfied with the support they get in this modern family setup. The care for elderly also demands a lot from parents. Mothers and fathers worry that this will ask more of them in the coming years, while they already feel unsupported. 

Development of children

According to Marjet Winsemius from Stichting Voor Werkende Ouders, more attention should be given to the diversity of families. And what they need to combine good care for their children with other responsibilities like work and informal care. “The development of children is at stake here. The question is what society is willing to invest in families. Will politics support them or will we let them struggle?” 

Recommendations

The state of the family 2024 gives recommendations to politics to relieve the burden on families. The report calls for good leave arrangements, closing the wage gap and a modern offer of arrangements where school and childcare work seamlessly together. Affordable childcare is also, according to Karen Strengers, chair of Branchevereniging Maatschappelijke Kinderopvang, an important solution that can relieve parents. 

About the state of the family 

The state of the family is published for the third time in a row on the occasion of the International Day of the Family by Stichting Voor Werkende Ouders, Dutch Youth Health Center, Branchevereniging Maatschappelijke Kinderopvang and magazine WIJ. The survey was completed by 3,026 parents.