The changed role of mothers necessitates changing the way our system works for children and families. Though we delineated in the beginning a general consensus on what children need, less has been written on what families need. Just as we can't teach math to hungry children, we can't give parent education classes to hungry adults. Families need economic security, they need to know where the next meal is coming from, that there is money to pay the rent, that there are jobs where they can make a decent living. Social networks are essential to families-friends, neighbors, kin who provide emotional and concrete support.
Isolation is a primary cause of depression, and of destructiveness in families.
Families require communities that are safe and rich in resources-parks, libraries, family resource centers, child care programs, good schools, and adequate health care. Families thrive when they are part of a community in which they participate and contribute. And families need time to spend together. I believe parents want to be good parents, and families need these things to do what they would like to do for their children. Underlying such a commitment to families is the recognition that no family can raise children alone.