Family Impact Analysis Research Articles

Family Impact Analysis of Mid-day Meal (MDM) Scheme in India with Special Focus on Child Education and Nutrition

The school lunch programme in India was first implemented in 1925 by the Madras Municipal Corporation for disadvantaged children. At present, the school lunch programme in India is known as mid-day meal (MDM) scheme. It was started with an objective to enhance enrolment, retention and attendance rates, and simultaneously improve nutritional levels among children. MDM not only impacts the well-being of each child but also affects the overall prosperity of families. Hence, a family impact analysis of the MDM scheme of India would be instrumental in charting out the future directions of this programme. For this study, no primary research has been carried out, rather this paper is based on secondary literature pertaining to MDM with relation to child nutrition and education. The checklist developed by the Family Criteria (Ad Hoc) Task Force of the Consortium of Family Organizations (COFO) for assessing the intended and unintended impact of public policies, proposals and social programmes on families is used. This checklist, which was later revised by the Policy Institute for Family Impact Seminars, outlines six principles to guide analyses of the family supportiveness of policies and programmes: (1) family support and responsibilities, (2) family membership and stability, (3) family involvement and interdependence, (4) family partnership and empowerment, (5) family diversity and (6) support of vulnerable families. There are a good number of intended consequences of MDM scheme which include enrolment, retention, attendance, eradication of school hunger, family stability, improvement of malnutrition, employment to women of disadvantaged communities, improvement of girl child education, etc. However, it also has some unintended consequences, including food contamination or food poisoning. Social discrimination can also be seen as an intended or unintended consequence of MDM.

Statutory minimum wage in Hong Kong: a family impact analysis

ABSTRACTThis paper presents a study on family impact analysis of the Statutory Minimum Wage (SMW) in Hong Kong. Qualitative data were collected from seven focus groups and 13 individual interviews conducted with low-wage employees, parents of teenage workers, and parents of employees with disabilities. The 3D7L model of influence was adopted as the conceptual framework. The study found that SMW provided the participating employees with a wage floor and obviously raised their income. It facilitates family budgeting and motivates the participating employees to provide better care to their families. However, the rapid inflation eroded their increased income. They continue to work long hours to earn a living. In interaction with the gender norm, SMW boosted part-time work opportunities for women but the persistent gender norm limited their choices of work location and salary level. The implementation of SMW also escalated the social expectation on productivity that in turn intensified the marginalization of most vulnerable employees. For employees receiving public welfare allowances, the inflexible welfare policy has ‘rub off effect’ on their financial gain from SMW. In sum, SMW is not able to provide the adequate support and opportunities for the employees to actualize their motivations in giving better care to their families. Thus, the policy of SMW needs to be supported by other relevant social policies and services designed to address inflation pressures, minimize family-work conflicts, and mitigate the negative employment effects on the most vulnerable groups of employees.

Policy doesn't help us: Black feminist anthropology in the social work classroom

“Policy doesn't help us,” was a refrain I heard repeatedly from one of my School for Social Work graduate students in a family policy course where I teach students how to complete a family impact analysis. The objective is to help social work practitioners understand the ways in which policies overlap to create often dire circumstances for families in need and how variously situated families experience these circumstance differently. In this article, I highlight the experiences of three of my students, each an African American woman social work student between the ages 25 and 50. I use black feminist anthropology to explore primary themes that centralize the importance of understanding varied raced, classed, and gendered experiences when delivering family and children's services. I use student's critical engagement and family impact analyses to discuss the ways in which black women's roles as service providers impact policy analysis and implementation of social services. I also discuss the ways in which I use the social work classroom as a site for the translation of anthropological research findings into changes in public policy and practice. At the root of this focus is an eye toward social change and social justice that benefits all families.

Issues and Challenges in Performing Family Impact Analysis – Implications for Hong Kong

Family impact analysis (FIA) is informed by a growing vision of incorporating a family perspective into policy making. It is a skillful and technical exercise in examining past, present, or probable future consequences – both intended and unintended – of a policy on family well‐being. Originating in the USA in the 1970s, it has become state/provincial or federal policy in the USA, Canada (Alberta), Australia, and Hong Kong. The policy has had different degrees of success in these countries. This article reviewed the critical issues and challenges for implementing the policy and the countries’ different responses to the challenges. It also discussed the implications of these international experiences on Hong Kong's policy of FIA as the newest member of the ranks. Attention to the diversity of families in defining family, adequate training and support to policy staff, building of quality control mechanisms, and the development of grassroots and political support of FIA were recommended. The review also found that there was a dearth of evaluation research on the policy. Further studies are necessary to examine whether FIA is an effective means of affecting policy‐planning decisions. It is a shared obligation of all countries that voted for a policy on FIA.

Sex Education and Support of LGB Families: a Family Impact Analysis of the Personal Responsibility Education Program

The authorization of the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) represents a significant legislative shift in how social policy in the United States implements school-based sexual health education to address concerns for youth health. In contrast to its abstinence-based predecessors, this federally funded program provides a more comprehensive approach to sex education that includes content on contraception, is evidence-based, and emphasizes diversity and service to vulnerable populations. Yet, despite these improvements to how sex education policy facilitates the healthy development of youth, the design and implementation of PREP do not provide substantial support of lesbian, bisexual, and gay (LGB) populations. This paper applies a family impact analysis framework to further explore this policy limitation and demonstrates how PREP perpetuates the heteronormative legacy of sex education in a way that continues to marginalize and harm LGB families.

Family Impact Analysis and Social Work: It’s Time to Reconsider our Policy Analysis Strategy

FIA is an assessment strategy based on the family impact lens. The family impact lens examines the impact of policy on family well-being, ways that families could be supported to fulfill functions that achieve the goals of public policy, and makes an effort to determine whether families should be included in the administration of policy benefits or goals (Bogenschneider et al. 2012b). Assessment of policies is based off five principles with subcomponent questions to guide analysis: family responsibility, family stability, family relationships, family diversity, and family engagement (Bogenschneider et al. 2012a). Multiple arguments can be made towards the need for FIA and this information will be woven into the context of this editorial. However, I would like to highlight two primary reasons. First, there is a strong need and a growing trend of evidence-based policymaking (Huston 2008). Second, economic issues often take center stage in making policy but little or no attention may be paid to the actual impact of policies on families. Policymakers are quick to consult with economic researchers for intended or unintended consequences, but perhaps, social work researchers and practitioners should be consulted with to the same degree to determine how families might be impacted by changes in policy (Bogenschneider et al. 2012a).

DREAMers and their families: A family impact analysis of the DREAM Act and implications for family well-being

Discourse around immigration reform largely centers on economic and national security issues and rarely mentions the well-being of families. This paper applies Family Impact Analysis (FIA) and rhetorical discourse analysis to the congressional hearings, debates, and documents surrounding the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act to examine representations of immigrant families and implications for their well-being. Our analysis reveals that while the discourse in the DREAM Act and related congressional documents gives voice to undocumented children, it undermines family well-being. In particular, the Act promotes the rights of children over their parents, discourages family stability and unity, and impacts family interdependence negatively. Findings suggest that further consideration of FIA, in light of immigration reform efforts, is essential to crafting a policy that supports children and families during periods of transition.

DREAMers and their Families: A Family Impact Analysis of the DREAM Act and Implications for Family Well-Being

DREAMers and their Families: A Family Impact Analysis of the DREAM Act and Implications for Family Well-Being

Viewing the National Family Caregiver Support Program through The Family Impact Lens

Families are the major provider of long-term care and support for the functionally dependent elderly. The provision of this care, however, can exact an emotional, physical, and financial toll. The National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP), established in amending the Older American Act in 2000, provides grants to states and territories to fund a range of supports that assist families in caring for dependent elderly persons at home for as long as possible. A family impact analysis of NFCSP provides several lessons and implications for those who design, implement, and study family caregiving. An analysis of this legislation using the family impact lens provides evidence, albeit indirect, that support services funded under the NFCSP can reduce caregiver depression, anxiety, and stress and enables them to provide care longer, thereby avoiding or delaying the need for costly institutional care.

가족영향평가 도입방안 탐색연구

The aim of this study is to suggest the introduction of family impact analysis. Family impact analysis is needed to evaluate family policies from the family perspective. This study deals with the definition of family impact analysis and the cases of other impact analysis, such as gender impact assessment and employment impact analysis. In addition, this study suggests the introduction of family impact analysis with evaluation methods, evaluation indicators, and evaluation processes. Evaluation methods are divided into self-assessment and specific-assessment. Evaluation indicators need to be developed based on the family strength. This research also suggests the securing of family time as a basic assessment indicator. The evaluation processes consist of object selection, assessment, evaluation report, and policy improvement. Finally, this study suggests that family impact analysis is a strong strategy for promoting family-friendly policies. In order to introduce family impact analysis in a more systematic manner, further studies on the standards of assessment, formation of research institutions, and the legislative system will be necessary.

The Family Impact Lens: A Family‐Focused, Evidence‐Informed Approach to Policy and Practice

Families have long been recognized for the contributions they make to their members and to society. Yet families are seldom substantively incorporated into the normal course of policy and program development, implementation, and evaluation. We propose the family impact lens as one way to shift the rhetoric from appreciating families to prioritizing them as worthy of study, investment, partnership, and political action. This paper provides the theoretical and empirical rationale for the family impact lens and introduces a toolkit for professionals who conduct or manage programs, teach about families, communicate with policymakers and program administrators, or evaluate programs and policies. Five guiding principles comprise the core of the family impact lens—family responsibility, family stability, family relationships, family diversity, and family engagement. To operationalize these principles, three methodologies are proposed—Family Impact Discussion Starters, the Family Impact Checklist, and Family Impact Analysis. Next steps are proposed for implementation and evaluation.

Family Impact Analysis of Section 6 (Sexual Transmission) of the Kenya HIV and AIDS Prevention and Control Act No. 14 of 2006

We have analyzed the impact of Section 6 of The Kenya HIV and AIDS Prevention Act on Kenyan families and especially within marriage. In 2006 Kenya passed two bills into law: The Kenya HIV and AIDS Prevention Act and The Sexual Offences Act. The latter addresses sexual offenses including rape, incest and other acts of sexual violence and relates to the Prevention Act in that HIV infection may be transmitted during a sexual offense. Section 6 of the Prevention Act focuses on the sensitive issue of secondary and tertiary transmission of HIV. Although protection is accorded to individuals living with HIV, this section of the law places responsibility on this group to reduce infections among positive individuals as well as the spread of infection between spouses {when only one partner is positive} by criminalizing recklessness leading to HIV infection. By asking questions proposed in the family impact analysis such as, does the law enhance family stability, and commitment or does it acknowledge diverse family forms, interdependence and target vulnerable groups, the framework allows us to examine the impact of Section 6 of the law on families. Under the FIA framework, the ability of The Prevention Act to enhance family functions, promote wellbeing, marital stability, commitment and responsibility is considered while taking into account the contextual realities in Kenya.

Implications of China's Open-Door Policy for Families

China's open-door policy (ODP) was created in 1978 as a response to the severe economic depression affecting the country after the Cultural Revolution. The policy was designed to restore China's financial status and lift the nation out of destitution. By all accounts, the ODP has been successful in improving the country's monetary condition. However, the impacts to family structures and values caused by the sudden and massive industrialization of cities and towns are less well known. This article explores the unexpected changes to family life since the inception of the ODP and conducts a preliminary family impact analysis on how these alterations could be related to the ODP.

Roles for Professionals in Building Family Policy: A Case Study of State Family Impact Seminars

A trend in society in the A 1990s that may be noteworthy for family professionals is the growing consensus across the political spectrum that policies would be more effective if they strengthened the family's capacity to help itself and others. Only recently have politicians been able to put family issues on the table since the aftermath of the politically charged White House Conference on Families in 1980 (Weiss, in press). Calls for a family focus in policy making have been repeated in testimony before the U.S. Congress (Bronfenbrenner, 1986b), in the initiatives of federal agencies (United States Department of Education Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 1991), in the reports of prestigious commissions (Committee for Economic Development, 1987; National Commission on America's Urban Families, 1993; National Commission on Children, 1991), and in the recommendations of professionals who educate families or deliver family services (Council of Chief State School Officers, 1989; National Commission on Child Welfare and Family Preservation, 1990). This public sentiment has led policy analysts to claim that concern for the family is no longer viewed as being politically conservative or progressive, but rather as simply American (Jacobs & Davies, 1991). This bipartisan shift toward families and away from an historic focus on individuals in policies and programs leads to an urgent, soul-searching question for family professionals: How can we seize the moment and capitalize on this consensus to help turn family rhetoric into reality, into concrete policies and programs that strengthen and support families? That which lies before our eyes may seem the easiest to see, according to the poet Goethe, yet may be, in fact, the most difficult. The purpose of this article is to fully explicate an array of roles for the professional in building family policy, expanding upon the theoretical notions proposed by Nye and McDonald (1979). They proposed two basic policy roles for family professionals-for researchers, that of family policy research (which is subdivided into categories of research for family policy, family evaluation research, and family impact analysis), and for other family professionals, that of family advocacy. This article describes and updates these roles, discusses how the roles for researchers and nonresearchers may not be as distinct as originally proposed, and introduces one additional role-family policy alternatives education. The potential of this new role is illustrated with a case study of state Family Impact Seminars, a series of seminars for policy makers that aims to analyze the consequences an issue, policy, or program has for family well-being, to clarify the potential consequences of various policy alternatives, and to illustrate how policy making might benefit if the role of the family were taken into account in addressing public issues. This article aims to describe this new role, but not to promote it as the optimum or only role for professionals, recognizing that the role or combination of roles that is most appropriate may vary according to the intended target of policy efforts, the issue under consideration, and the professional's job context. To this end, the new role is best illustrated by comparing it with other potential roles for professionals in building family policy. Table 1 contrasts these five roles--their goals, methods, and examples from the literature.(Table 1 omitted) Research for Family Policy According to Nye and McDonald (1979), research can perform an important role in family policy by determining whether social action is needed, either by identifying social problems or by refuting contentions that a problem exists. Whereas Nye and McDonald (1979) limit research for family policy to the consequences of diverse family structures on family members and society, others broaden the focus to include research on the family's ability to perform such functions as economic support of members, cultural socialization, and care and protection of vulnerable family members (Ooms & Preister, 1988). …

Family Impact Analysis and the Future Role of the Public Administrator

Family Impact Analysis and the Future Role of the Public Administrator

A Family Impact Analysis: The Deinstitutionalization of the Mentally Ill

Since the mid-1960's mental health policy has dictated several major changes in the structure and delivery of long-term care for the chronically mentally ill. Legislation encouraging a decreased reliance on hospitals has prompted the use of alternative community based treatment. The goal of this study was to assess the impact of the behavior of a chronically mentally ill relative on family stress. Fifty-seven families were surveyed concerning their current living and care arrangement with the mentally ill relative and the related stress factors. The results suggest frequency of family and mentally ill relative interaction is directly related to the stress these families experience.

Family Impact Analysis: Its Promise for Social Welfare

The use of family impact analysis has been proposed as a framework for examining the impact of social policies on families. This article describes a model for family impact study, demonstrates its application to the specific case of deinstitutionalization policy, and discusses its potential for the field of social welfare.

Mandatory Work Registration for Welfare Parents: A Family Impact Analysis

The purpose of this paper was to examine the impact of the AFDC mandatory work registration policy on AFDC clients and their families using data from telephone interviews with 102 welfare clients from Milwaukee and LaCrosse counties in Wisconsin. The data suggested that, while the majority of clients reported that the policy had no effect on them individually or on their families, 19% reported positive and 28% negative individual effects; 5% reported positive and 24% negative family effects. Positive impacts included increased income and improved selfimage; negative effects centered on difficulties with child care and related family problems. Discriminant analyses were used to explore the extent to which impact could be predicted on the basis of certain personal and family variables, and results are discussed in terms of the vulnerability of these families to external stress. The need for selective application of this policy is demonstrated, and implications for program and policy changes are discussed.

FAMILY IMPACT ANALYSIS: CONCEPTS AND METHODOLOGIES*

ABSTRACTA brief introduction to the background, current concerns, and methodologies of Family Impact Analysis is presented. The concept of Family Impact Analysis will be delineated by a discussion of the background of Family Impact Analysis, its particular timeliness now, the relationship of Family Impact Analysis to other policy or program analyses, the nature of potential policy impacts on families, and different research strategies appropriate for Family Impact Analysis. The basic elements of a step‐by‐step methodology for engaging in family impact analysis is briefly outlined. These steps include: 1) identification of the policy for analysis; 2) identification of family impacts of concern; 3) specification of the relationship between policy components and hypothesized family impacts; 4) design and implementation of the research; 5) analysis of findings; and 6) evaluation of and presentation of findings. The current state of the art regarding family impact analysis as a methodology will be reviewed, and recommendations for further development and utilization of this methodology will be offered.

Family Policy Research: Emergent Models and Some Theoretical Issues

This paper surveys the existing approaches to the developing area of family policy such as family evaluation and family impact analysis, and advances an additional model termed research /fbrfamilv policy. These models are compared and contrasted to more fully explicate the variety qf roles involved in family policy research. Family policy advocacy is also discussed in difetrentiating it from