Family test: assessing the impact of policies on families
Guidance on how government policy makers should apply the ‘family test’.
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Strong and stable families and family relationships, in all their forms, play an important role in our society. Whether intended or not, a wide range of government activity has a direct or indirect impact on families. Families in turn shape how individuals engage with policy initiatives and use public services.
On 18 August 2014 the Prime Minister announced the introduction of a ‘family test’.
The objective of the test is to introduce a family perspective to the policy making process. It will ensure that policy makers recognise and make explicit the potential impacts on family relationships in the process of developing and agreeing new policy.
This guidance sets out when and how government departments should apply the test.
Updates to this page
Last updated 26 May 2021 + show all updates
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Edited guidance to offer greater support to policy makers in applying the Test, while the Test itself remains unchanged.
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First published.