Private responsibility and some support: Family policies in the Netherlands.

In: Family policies in the context of family change. The Nordic countries in comparative perspective., S. 155-173

Abstract

"Dutch family policy has been caught between social policies focusing on income redistribution and the labour market, policies that are increasingly inspired by a 'welfare-to-work' agenda, and a gender equity policy trying to encourage both men and women to share work and family responsibilities. Currently, the dominant idea about the relationship between work and care is being transformed by combining its traditional corporatist traits, i.e. the familialisation of care responsibilities, with an even less prominent role of the state. New laws have been introduced, such as The Work and Welfare Act (Wet Werk en Bijstand), the Social Support Act (Wet Maatschappelijke Ondersteuning), a new childcare law (Wet Kinderopvang), and the Life Course Saving Scheme (Levensloopregeling). The overall direction is to encourage Dutch citizens to liberate themselves from the state with respect to work and care: national public policy should not be understood as a problem-solver in this area. Individual citizens are supposed to become more autonomous in how they reconcile work and care obligations. This article evaluates two aspects of the Dutch family policy. First, it describes changes in procreation rights, family law, and the rights and obligations of parents and children. Then it explores the way successive coalition governments have struggled to reconcile work and care responsibilities." (author's abstract).