There are a number of organisations that focus on issues such as abortion, declining standards in the media, or internet safety, but Family Education Trust has always sought to identify the underlying causes of social problems. We are therefore not a single-issue organisation, but give time and attention to a wide range of areas that affect the stability of the family and the welfare of children and young people.
There are also many organisations that address family-related issues from a faith perspective, but as an evidence-based organisation Family Education Trust does not make its appeal to any religious text or creed, but presents the findings of sound academic research.
The importance of the family
There is an area in social science in which the evidence stacks up so completely on one side: marriage and traditional family life are associated with good outcomes in terms of health, wealth, and other indicators of wellbeing. A community of stable families has fewer problems with crime, anti-social behaviour and isolation than a community in which short-lived relationships are the norm.
We simply cannot afford to formulate public policy on the assumption that all living relationships are of equal value to society. Rather, we need to allow public policy to be shaped by the facts and promote marriage and responsible parenthood.
Respect for parents
Over recent years there has been a tendency to regard children as the shared responsibility of parents and the state, with the state assuming an ever-increasing role in their lives.
The role of parents is increasingly being undermined by growing pressure on mothers to work outside the home, official disapproval of effective methods of discipline, and the confidential provision of contraception and abortions without the knowledge or consent of parents. Yet the more the state undermines the authority of parents, the less responsibility parents will be inclined to take for their children.
As the primary educators and natural protectors of their children, it is vital that parents should always be involved in decisions about their welfare, other than in the most exceptional cases.