Chairperson, in the document Describing the Structure and Needs of Families in South Africa: Towards the Development of a National Policy Framework for Families, the ACDP notes the following:
From studies conducted in many parts of the world, stable and emotionally supportive family life has been found to be associated with such positive outcomes as: higher rates of school attendance; better school performance; higher levels of self-esteem, self-confidence and future orientation among children and youth; a reduction in behaviour problems among youth, including aggression, substance use and crime; higher levels of work productivity; lower levels of stress and stress-related illnesses resulting in lower levels of work absenteeism, substance use and health care costs; a greater capacity to deal with hardships and crises ... greater longevity and better quality of life among older persons; and increased responsibility for the care of sick and disabled family members.
From an economic perspective, the point was made that expenditure on the implementation of policies to support families is an investment in human capital and not a cost to society. Apart from supporting productivity, strong and cohesive families produce tangible returns in the form of healthier individuals and increased social cohesion.
The family policy is needed to reinforce the functions of families despite changing family structure. I thank you.