The International Day of Families is observed on the 15th of May every year. The Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly resolution in 1993 (A/RES/47/237) and reflects the importance the international community attaches to families. The International Day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and increase the knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families. The Day may become an opportunity for all countries to demonstrate support to families. Governments, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions and individuals are encouraged to organize observances of the Day to promote a better understanding of the functions, problems, strengths and needs of families.
BACKGROUND:
Family Poverty
Family poverty usually refers to households earning less than a minimum amount of income. In high and medium-income countries family poverty levels refer to incomes falling below specific annual income levels or falling below 50-60 per cent of the national median income. In low-income countries, the standard measure involves income of $1.25 per person a day. With insufficient income families are not able to perform their multiple functions, like providing nutrition, education and security for their children or adequately care for other family members. Families are vulnerable to poverty at certain stages in the family life cycle, e.g. starting a new family and during retirement. They are also more likely to fall into poverty during times of financial and economic crises.
Social Exclusion
Poverty means more than income and material deprivation. Social exclusion can be seen as a form of poverty as they both originate in discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity and gender, inequality, unbalanced rural/urban development, unequal distribution of assets or unequal access to services. The excluded are mostly unable to improve their well-being due to socio-political structures of the societies they live in. Indigenous and ethnic minorities are often most affected by exclusion.
Child Poverty
The cycle of poverty continues when a family remains in poverty over successive generation. Investing in children is then seen as a priority to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. Priorities in this area include: improving access to and quality of education, ensuring access to health services as well as investing in family stability. There is a strong correlation between social expenditures on children and family welfare and lower risk of families being in poverty.
Gender Equality
Gender inequality continues to be a major impediment to poverty eradication. Research in developing countries indicate that the greater a woman contributes to household income, the more money is spent on food, childcare and overall family well-being. At the same time, it is important to take measures encouraging men to take up bigger share of household and care responsibilities within families.
Family-Oriented Anti-poverty Strategies
Family-focused strategies aiming at poverty reduction often include income support policies, such as universal child allowances or child-focused earnings supplements. There is also a growing interest in specific policies in support of single-parent families, through cash allowances, tax incentives, tougher child support enforcement or by discouraging marriage dissolution. Benefits for family members caring for older persons and persons with disabilities have also been considered to help families cope with caring responsibilities and promote intergenerational support.
The importance of family-oriented strategies for poverty eradication has been increasingly gaining ground in development efforts around the world. In particular gender and child-sensitive social protection policies addressing family poverty and reducing the vulnerability of younger and older generations have been a focus of attention of increasing number of countries in developed and developing world alike.
Research and practice demonstrate that the effective delivery of social transfer programmes depends on efficient administrative structure and adequate financial capacity. Their success is also more likely if they are accompanied by adequate provision of basic social services, in particular health services, especially to those most vulnerable.
PRAYER:
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before you in the Name of Jesus on behalf of families around the world, including America. Lord, we know that families are the building blocks of a culture and that a healthy culture has healthy families. Families are in trouble everywhere for many reasons. We lift troubled families before your throne and ask that your Hand of protection and provision would be upon them. For families struggling with relational issues, we ask for God-honoring solutions. For families in poverty we ask for God-given provision. For families struggling with health issues we ask for God-given healing. We pray that governments would make family stability a priority in decision making and goal setting. Lord, when we think of families in crisis globally through poverty, disease, corrupt government, and/or natural disasters we feel so small; yet, we know that You will make a way as we do our part in seeking You and asking You to show us what we can do. Bring this subject to our minds as we pray. Help us to remember global families.
We lift up the families in Network Tacoma. We pray for the salvation of family members who do not know You. We pray that the families living in these homes would benefit from the training that they receive from the Network Tacoma staff and this knowledge would transform their lives so that they are able to overcome their difficult circumstances. We pray for Alissa's healing and the healing of any who suffer from disease and sickness. We pray for a break in generational ties of poverty. We ask that those who need to will be able to receive educational opportunities. We pray for the children that they would receive the care, nurturing and love that they need to grow and reach their full potential. We pray for the families of the staff members who toil endless hours and give fully of themselves sacrificially for the benefit of families. Be their all-in-all and bless them in every way. Bless these families Lord, in ways that we cannot think or ask.
We lift our own families to You, Lord. Every family has needs so we entrust our family to You and ask that You would provide for, guide and reside in our families. We ask that You would show us a way of escape from besetting sins that we repeat as families. We ask that you break any generational ties that stop our families from being all that they can be. We praise you for provision. We adore You for Your love for our families and how You show us to be loving through Your unconditional love. We worship You by laying down our families before Your throne and asking You to bless our families with unity, peace and love.
Thank You Heavenly Father for creating families. We love You. In Jesus Name we pray. Amen
