Contrary to many reports the family theme in public policy is alive and well. This article argues for a reevaluation of the direction of much previous research and writing about “family policy.” Efforts should not focus on debates about the content or utility of a “national family policy” but on the process of policymaking: how to encourage the necessary family perspective in the development, implementation, and monitoring of sound social policy. This article briefly outlines the six essential components of a family perspective and discusses some of the barriers to its incorporation in research and policy. A number of the vehicles that have been suggested are reviewed, including a Family Department and family impact statements. I conclude that the most promising model is a family commission, a model that is being successfully tried in Great Britain and Australia. The article ends with a summary of seven major emerging social policy issues that must be addressed from a family perspective. These constitute an agenda for policy-oriented research for the years ahead.
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