Archbishops' Commission report wants government to prioritise families in policies

In a report released today (27), the Archbishops' Commission on Families & Households has made a series of recommendations for the flourishing of families and households.

The report titled "Love Matters" calls on institutions such as the Church of England and the Government to prioritise the importance of families in their policies and for individuals to commit to relationships that lead to the flourishing of all involved, regardless of marital status.

The report emphasises that the quality of family relationships is more important than the specific structure of the family, and that the underlying values of flourishing family life remain unchanged despite evolving family concepts.

The Commission drew on extensive primary data from various sources, including community visits, events, and discussions, to outline five ambitions to support and strengthen family life.

The first ambition is to value families in all their diversity and meet their basic needs by placing their well-being at the heart of government policy-making and community life, including religious communities.

The second is to support relationships throughout life and promote the flourishing of individuals and families by enabling everyone to develop and maintain loving and caring relationships and manage conflict effectively.

The third ambition is to recognise and honour singleness and single-person households, acknowledging the importance of loving relationships to everyone.

The fourth ambition is to empower children and young people by developing their relational skills and knowledge, recognising their value and agency, and protecting them from harm to give them the best start in life.

The fifth ambition is to build a kinder, fairer, and more forgiving society, removing discrimination, division, and deep inequality for the benefit of every family and household.

Established in March 2021 by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Families & Households Commission was tasked with exploring what families and households of all shapes and sizes require to flourish.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Justin Welby, welcomed the report and emphasised the importance of prioritising the hopes, needs, and aspirations of families in all their diversity.

The Archbishop of York, the Most Revd Stephen Cottrell, added that the report reminds us that love matters and encourages everyone to commit to loving relationships that build up one another.

The Chair of the Commission, Professor Janet Walker OBE, described the report as a story of opportunity, hope, and love that reimagines a kind, fair, and forgiving society.

The Co-Chair of the Commission, the Rt Revd Paul Butler, Bishop of Durham, emphasised that families lie at the heart of society, and the shape of family changes throughout life, but loving long-term relationships are crucial for everyone to flourish.

The Families & Households Commission was inspired by Archbishop Justin's 2018 book "Reimagining Britain: Foundations for Hope," and the Commission's aim was to address the pressures and challenges facing families and households while highlighting what works well and how to build on it, drawing on Christian tradition.

The Commission sought to gather examples of good practice and propose areas of action to support the work of the Church with families and households in new ways and to offer proposals to shape public policy relating to families and households in a holistic manner.