Public Policy Position on Family Life
Background
Family life is at the heart of our community and our society. The strong, stable, secure family can withstand most of the disruptive forces swirling around us today. Yet family life is effected directly or indirectly by many kinds of government action: education system, income maintenance programs, utilization of natural resources, tax laws, criminal justice system, military policy and spending - to mention only a few.
Increased mobility of the population and disruption of some traditional family patterns, economic upheaval, and many complex facets of contemporary life-style have eroded or reformed the family structure and value system.
At the same time, we are changing our perceptions about relationships within the family structure: domestic violence is no longer acceptable; the contributions of both partners to the family's economy are more widely recognized; the responsibilities of all family members to each other are discussed more freely; and so forth.
The laws of the state and their implementation inevitably affect the quality and stability of family life. Each piece of proposed legislation should be examined for its potential impact on family life.
Current Pressing Issues And Needs
Expansion of present day care facilities and establishment of additional day care facilities for children; and more effective supervision of such facilities. Special consideration of the needs of single-parent families for child care facilities.
Legislation addressing problems of domestic violence and child abuse, and providing protective services for adults, e.g. funding for battered family shelters; adequate training for law enforcement officers dealing with domestic violence and child abuse; adequate training for school social workers, teachers and others to recognize symptoms and offer counseling; self-help and support groups; mental health programs for offenders and victims; increasing community awareness and responsibility for solving the problems.
Policy Position
The New Mexico Conference of Churches will support legislative proposals which are designed to deal positively, creatively and in a cost effective manner with all kinds of needs and problems relating to family life today. In particular we will support the objectives set forth in the "Current Pressing Issues and Needs" section of this statement.
