ABSTRACT
Family policies as a specific set of policies aimed explicitly at supporting socially desirable behaviours and relationships are relatively recent. An important exception is France, whose pro-natalist policies date back to the beginning of the twentieth century. This chapter analyses the concept of family policies itself and the various dimensions of such policies, with particular regard to the distinction between goals and outcomes. It discusses the main targets and instruments of family policies from a comparative perspective. Typologies of family policies differ depending on the criteria used as an identifying base as well as on the number and types of countries considered. Family policies are being developed as explicit anti-poverty policies in various developing countries, with a specific focus on children. Many policies addressing families are outside the realm of social policies and welfare state arrangements. Most policies address the presence of young children through the combination of financial, time and service transfers.
