Family Policy Matters: How Policymaking Affects Families and What Professionals Can Do

"This fourth edition of Family Policy Matters is another cutting-edge contribution to the field―accessible, positive and practical, and particularly necessary in light of the crises families have faced since 2014. For years now, whenever asked for expertise on how to take family policy research to policy, KB is the name that comes up first – and so it’s fantastic to have so much of her evidence, experience and guidance in one place. A must-have for anyone in the field who has ambitions to engage effectively with policymakers." Dominic Richardson, Director of the Learning for Well-being Institute, and former Chief of Social and Economic Policy, UNICEF
"Bogenschneider motivates why we should care and how we can build better public policy for families. The chapters are both pragmatic and aspirational, directly engaging with the role of values, politics, exclusion, and economics in policymaking. The book reveals the locations where family policy is born and debated, and conveys a restlessness for action. The chapters integrate author experiences, research evidence, personal narratives, and examples of successes and shortfalls. This collection is a must read for changemakers."
Kimberly DuMont, Senior Vice President, William T. Grant Foundation
"This thoughtful and readable book explores the policy process based on decades of experience studying and working with policymakers at varied levels…Dr. Bogenschneider makes a powerful, non-partisan and non-sectarian argument that public policies are important because they affect families both directly and indirectly though their intended goals and unintended consequences. She notes the many contradictory forces that complicate policy, particularly a conflict between American individualism and values supporting marriage and family…She endorses solid research; but her own research indicates the value of empirical research and theory that are leavened by interaction with policymakers."
Kristin Anderson Moore, Ph.D., Senior Scholar and Former President, Child Trends
Bogenschneider’s "Theory of Paradox is one of the compelling gems of this work, positioning students, instructors, and readers to critically analyze an issue, law, program, or policy from multiple perspectives to unpack the intentional and unintentional consequences. When seasoned with civility, commitment, and compassion for others, persons who practice the paradox theory are more apt to reach a consensus on how best to address the issue."
Tammy L. Henderson, Ph.D., CFLE, & Consultant
This new edition captures the evolving, post-pandemic landscape of family policy―the transformational changes that have occurred within contemporary families and the social, economic, and racial/ethnic disparities that have grown across families. The book draws on policies from around the globe to make an evidence-based case for family policy and its contributions to families and to society. Bogenschneider tackles a significant challenge of our times―the polarization of politics―including why it occurs and how professionals can bridge the divide.
Beyond the basics, the book provides best practices for turning analysis into action by drawing on cutting-edge research and a point of view often overlooked in policy books―the voice of policymakers themselves. Imbued with hope yet fundamentally realistic, Bogenschneider applies a relationship-based and strikingly nonpartisan approach for those who want to make a positive difference for families, whether they engage local policymakers in towns, cities and counties; state/national lawmakers; or decision-makers in businesses, nonprofits and philanthropy.
Accompanied by updated, web-based teaching materials and a family impact toolkit, this is core reading for undergraduate and/or graduate courses in family or social policy taught in human development and family studies, psychology, counseling, social work, sociology, public policy, political science, and education. It is also essential reading for professional