Topic 28 Sustaining family life

Question 1

outline ways in which Christians help to sustain family life

Answer 1

1.churches run sunday schools, youth groups to teach nurture and amuse children + teens -> enables parents to go to church knowing that children are safe and being brought up in xian environment
2. organisation Care for the Family set up by Rob Parsons, provides counselling for family and marriage life, as well as running lectures in churches about dealing w difficult family issues
3. young parent groups for spiritual and practical help, as well as giving a chance for parents to form a support network with other young families

Question 2

outline ways in which society helps to sustain family life

Answer 2

1. free counselling services eg Relate, which run informal workshops, and have an emergency helpline to aid people experiencing marital and familial problems -> social services also support, are contacted in case of danger/harm
2. charities eg save the children help sustain family life by working in 120 countries to protect children from harm, distributing food, running an emergency health unit
3. changes in the law support parents to sustain family life eg shared parental leave when a couple has a child, so both the mother and father can spend time with child, sharing in that role, as well as flexible working and remote working

Question 3

explain how religious communities support the upbringing of children

Answer 3

1. Rites of passage are offered in churches to help ppl to bring up children in xian environment eg baptism, which cleanses child of original sin, and welcomes child in to church community, as well as confirmation, where the child remakes for themselves the promises made at baptism for their behalf
2. Youth clubs and activities such as brownies are run to keep children away from bad influences and encourage community service and giving to charity, as well as holiday clubs to support working parents at little financial cost -> supports upbringing as families know child provided for in safe environment
3. religious schools eg catholic schools include prayers and mass during school day and teach catholic morality, to help in the nurturing of christianity during child’s upbringing
4. parent talk -> allows parents to discuss their probels and deal with family issues in an open and non judgemental forum, often run by established members of the church with families and experience of their own to allow for prayer and advice

Question 4

Outline how society supports upbringing of children

Answer 4

1. schools have facilities to help parents struggling to bring up their children, familly liasion workers form a line of communication between child, school and family to provide support and advice to all involved
2. midwives make home visits in the early days of having a baby to ensure new mothers are caring for their child properly, and babies are taken to clinics to not only check the health of the child, but how the parents are coping
3. gov supports free child care for ages 3-5 for 570 hours a year, allowing parents to work

Question 5

outline how christian communities keep families together

Answer 5

1. prayer and counselling - church provides support during difficult times for families through the vicar or established members of church
2. creche, for young mums and children, allows for mums to meet and discuss their problems that might be ocurring, helping families to stay together with advice and help from others in similar situations
3. RCC has charities such as Catholic Marriage Care which aims to help those who feel their marriage is in trouble, so they can try to keep families together

Question 6

outline how society helps to keep families together

Answer 6

1. the gov runs a troubled families programme which has supported 400,000 families between 2015-2021, improving child school attendance to get best start in life, or supporting victims of substance abuse and unemployment to keep their families together, as these can destroy family units
2. charities such as save the family work to help those who are victims of family breakdowns, whilst also providing family mentoring support and practical support such as basic household items and accomodation
3. local authorities offer housing support for famillies who are in financial difficulties so that family can be kept together