Karen Bogenschneider's Family Policy Matters

In the textbook, “Family Policy Matters: How Policymaking Affects Families and What Professionals Can Do, 3rd edition” written by Karen Bogenschneider (2014), she discusses family policy. Currently, there is an absence of a clear and consistent definition of family policy. On a large scale, family policy can include everything that the government does to and for the family. In 1987, Moen and Schorr defined family policy as, “a widely agreed-on set of objectives for families, toward the realization of which the state deliberately shapes programs and policies” (p. 42). However, faults can be found in both of these definitions. Going back to the origins of the family policy field, there was a clear division made between explicit polices and implicit policies. Explicit policy was intended to accomplish specific family goals. Implicit policy was designed to not affect families, but will still have an indirect impact on them. Bogenschneider suggests that family policy should have an explicit and implicit definition so that families can be viewed as both the ends and the means of the policy development (Bogenschneider, 2014, pp. 42-43). There are several areas which have had a gain from family policy. Bogenschneider discusses how public policy generates a position for families so they can successfully perform their functions. This includes helping …show more content…
Currently, I can see the impact that family policy has had with my own family. Public policy has increased the success of my family and how we function. The support has helped my family with several needs and strengthen our ability to give back to the community as well. In the past, we have received the Earned Income Tax credit and my son was in the Head Start preschool program. Both of these programs positively impacted my family and I can assume are positive assets to the other families who have received these benefits