Family Support Services Introduction Dramatic changes have occurred in the structure and patterns of family life in the United States over the past twenty years. For example, families have become increasingly mobile, and parents often function without help from extended family. Family support services have emerged in response to these changes. The settings in which family support services operate vary widely, as do the services and resources they offer to families.
Healthy families are the foundation of a healthy society.
Families which are unable to promote their children's development ultimately place the entire society at risk. Families operate as part of a total system. Children cannot be viewed as separate from their families, nor can families be viewed separately from their communities, their cultural heritage, or the society at large. Decisions made on behalf of children must take into account the ways in which these various systems are interconnected. The systems and institutions upon which families rely for support must assist families' efforts to effectively raise their children.