This chapter explores how family policies over the last two decades have attempted to improve children's outcomes. It gives an account of how government policy has been crafted in response to research evidence, as well as public opinion and political ideologies. While each political administration brings differences of outlook, we also see differences of emphasis within administrations, as well as continuities between administrations. The research described in Chapter Three has been used and sometimes misused to devise approaches to improve the outcomes of poor children. Policies were designed to either reduce pressures on families or build capabilities, or sometimes both. In Chapter Five, we assess the success of those policies.

The election of Labour in 1997 marked the end of a long period of Conservative rule, during which conventional attitudes about the family and the role of mothers in the family held sway. It is important to reflect briefly on the social attitudes prevalent before the 1997 election, if only to understand the scale of the changes to come. The 1992 Conservative manifesto was almost silent on parents and families. The private and voluntary sector provision of childcare was seen as a key strength in the British system; early education was noticeably absent; and childcare was contained within the section on women and diversity, reflecting the view that this was a woman's responsibility. While hardship facing lone mothers was of concern, in keeping with public views on mothers’ employment, the Conservative government prioritised chasing absent fathers for child support rather than encouraging female workforce participation. The Child Support Agency was set up in 1993 to ensure that fathers paid child maintenance, which was an indication that the state did have a role in family policy, particularly if failing to chase fathers meant more demand on the welfare system for lone mothers and the children left behind. It enforced parental responsibility for both parents, signalling that fathers were a key part of family policy, albeit focused primarily on their financial responsibilities rather than a wider view of their role.

Policy was neutral in relation to mothers’ participation in paid work. While there were commitments to tax breaks for childcare, no new childcare provision was promised. Indeed, the introduction of a voucher scheme for childcare in 1996 was designed to give parents greater choice in the voluntary and private markets of childcare.