Family policies. In a nation with the permission of Professor Treu its contribution to meeting the programmatic PD - February 2011
The Premise PD in recent years has devoted much attention to the family and family policies. Put forward proposals, including in Parliament, the result of reflection started from the time of the Olive and compare it with the administrators, associations and trade unions.
Beyond the specific proposals presented here, the PD wants change the way fundamental axis of social policies and welfare .. The traditional system of welfare was concentrated on the categories of workers, males, and included interventions in the indemnity above, to compensate individuals for damage and risks of the job. Our intention is to look after the welfare of the people, of all people, to respond to their different situations and needs.
Our goal is to build a universal welfare, family and generational. The welfare system must be universal because it deals with all the people who live in our area, including an increasing number of immigrants present in our families. It can not be primarily compensatory, but oriented to promote the development of people in their entirety with measures to increase the opportunities for personal enrichment and relational and skills of individuals and families to live a good life and good works. We want a welfare system that helps the growth of a society's care, a welcoming family for its members and open to the communities that surround it and interacts with.
welfare policies affect people, all people, but must take account of relationships in which people find themselves living among which in particular, family relationships. These reports affect the needs and expectations of individuals, from childhood to old age, thus requiring specific responses that consider and enhance the family context. E 'in the family that define the relationships between the generations. The welfare system should help to restore the pact between the generations now strongly challenged by social tensions and pressures of the market is not offset by the policy.
The PD also supports an active welfare extends the capabilities of people and develop social relationships humanly rich, starting from the family. Our welfare and family policies within it are not welfare measures, but an engine of human development, sustainable growth and an essential tool to combat inequality and social exclusion.
Our approach has immediate consequences in the current crisis and longer-term consequences for change at the bottom of our social system.
All measures must be taken now to overcome the crisis must take into account the needs of families and not neglect them like the government, which has affected the family with cuts in school, university, funding for kindergartens and for the long-term care and social policies. This government says that to think the family is running low on it and the costs of the crisis of life. Hypocritically states to enhance the role of the family as a social safety net, a statement unacceptable.
Family policies have received insufficient attention in Italy, lower than in all neighboring countries (receiving just over 1% of GDP, half the European average). This is not a shortage today, but in recent years the situation has deteriorated dramatically.
funds allocated by the previous center-left government to Supporting families in various aspects (including equal opportunities, the long-term care, facilities for rents, childcare and youth policy) have been drastically reduced, even to a tenth, from 400 million in 2006 to 40 . And the complex nature of social funds has dropped from 2520 mil. euro in 2008 to 349 in 2011 and decrease again to 271.6 in 2013 (as is clear from the 2011 state budget, AC 3779).
card purchases (better known as Social card) was a flop. Apart from being objectionable in itself, and covered half of the intended beneficiaries. Many of the rights holders have not applied for the limitations and access difficulties.
financial difficulties must be addressed, but it is unfair and unacceptable to do so with linear cuts that do not take account of the hierarchy, nor the quality of needs.
Say you want to put the family at the center and then further reduce the already scarce resources is a hypocrisy, which covers an injustice. The economic difficulties are not the only obstacles to make family, but they are a part, for many decisive, especially in times of crisis.
All analysis recognize the severity of the economic barriers that weigh on youth (starting with the lack of work), the discrepancy between children want, and children born on the freedom of women to combine work and personal life, the care of children, the elderly and the disabled.
These issues should be the focus of our discussions and our policy agenda. It should be contrasted to the conventional wisdom that family policies are costs (to be reduced as the others) and not necessary investment for the future of the country.
To cover this situation you can not make use of the principle of subsidiarity, as stated in government documents. Subsidiarity, properly understood, can not be used to unload the responsibility of the state on civil society and the family. Also insist that the family is a social safety net, is a distortion of the idea of \u200b\u200bwelfare and subsidiarity.
Subsidiarity requires to enhance the independence and capacity of individuals and families so that they can contribute to the common welfare. The ability of individuals and the organization of civil society, in various forms (voluntary, third sector, bilateral agencies) are crucial to complement and enhance the welfare: it can no longer be based only on public policy initiatives, nor even the central and decentralized. This is why the PD supports the need for community welfare ..
But the state can not refuse to support with rules and actors with sufficient resources and functions of community welfare. So you do not have to cut public resources but also best-in-chief reallocated to social actors.
Family policies need to engage in a coordinated manner both civil society and public institutions, the central and local authorities, which have become especially relevant skills for the critical area of \u200b\u200bservices. Sectoral initiatives are not enough, even laudable. There must be a picture and a vision that unifies the various policies. He also noted the European Parliament indicating the need to adopt the approach of mainstreaming family (in addition of gender mainstreaming). Family policies need to understand a complex, as are the complex needs of families.
The PD offered suggestions priority to protect the fragility of the family in this time of crisis, but also in order to enhance the educational role and function of stimulus to personal and social growth.
1. Taxes and tariffs for families
A priority concerns economic aid to families.
The urgency is clear that the crisis is impoverishing more and more of our families. Almost a fifth of Italians (11 million) are at risk of poverty. The most disadvantaged are the couples with children is one of our developed with higher risk of poverty for couples who go beyond the second child. Poverty is seriously affecting children and more young people who have no prospects of autonomy and are forced to weigh on the family, well over the years of adolescence.
On this issue the Democratic Party has put forward a comprehensive package of proposals, approved by the Varese del'08 and 09 October 2010.
We believe that the tax incentives and income support for work and pensions should be commensurate with the needs and household composition. We asked, first, along with social forces, as an urgent measure consisting of a child allowance (2500 €) and universal, that is for all families, beyond the logic of small touches, as did other countries.
also offer a deduction for each additional child for women who work (see below point 4). And an increase (doubling) the threshold of deductibility of expenses for dependent children, now completely inadequate (deductions for childcare, babysitters, carers).
Helping families is also urgently in setting pricing policies. The rates, which weigh more than ever on family budgets, should be designed taking into account household composition (number of persons, age). Serve fares (transport, energy, etc.), especially for large families. Procedures must be studied in the same direction and are designed with the banks for the credit facilities, with municipalities and companies, to support the consumption of low-income families.
These emergency measures should be included in comprehensive policy to combat poverty, which in various forms is affecting many families, even middle class. Our proposal of the National Assembly approved May 22, 2010 is to introduce the income active solidarity for those at the margin labor market, to add deductions to income for low-wage workers, on the model established in other countries such as France (see also the paper presented to this General Assembly). In general
really need to address the reform of the tax measure to build a family. We have proposed the reduction of 20% of the first tranche, 23% today, reducing the number of intermediate rates and review of the scales in favor of low and medium incomes. In addition, the jungle of deductions and allowances in force today is cut down and reduced to rationality. We need to change radically the deduction: In addition to income level differs by age, the benefit young and ultra - seventy-five, in particular in need of care, and family responsibilities.
We challenge the right to talk about splitting income to compete on this terrain. The family quotient must be overcome because it is not fair, encourages high incomes more than those averages. The consideration of family factors as proposed by the Forum of Family Associations, lets you design a tax reform that recognizes the social value of family and resize the tax burden according to the family expenses (taking into account the needs and income).
2. Family and generations
The PD proposes a family and generational welfare because it considers urgent to reconstruct the contents generational and gender of the social compact, which are jeopardized by selfish and individualistic impulses in society today. Therefore, we propose to promote an equitable distribution of opportunities and responsibilities between the generations and gender, to meet the needs of the various cycles of life from early childhood, which address the first interventions of care and education, adult life, to reassure in the face of the uncertainties of work and income, old age, to recognize in his work and also opportunities to assist in the care needs to with special needs in the event of non-self-sufficiency.
2.1 Policies for Children.
central importance should be given to the care of children. Here begins the welfare state because it is at this stage that the bases of human development and capabilities necessary for a good life and good works. The center-right does not believe the childhood and adolescence, as do other countries, an investment in the present and the future of the country. In fact, Italy spent on care services and care of children (0-6 years) the proportion of GDP 0.65 (1.45 Sweden - France 1.6) and for services for young children (0-3 years) only 0.07% of GDP. In the last Budget have been further reduced below zero, the resources for the nests and services for young children, despite the fact that Italy, according to the latest ISTAT data is the slow lane of Europe, because the nursery cover only 12.7% of children.
This reduction in investment for children and the school and the lack of fiscal policy in favor of families with children have product: the increase in the rate of child poverty, the shortage of childcare services, the persistence School dropouts, increased forms of distress and discomfort, the growing gap between north and south (eg the minor residing in the south is given an annual sum ranging from 27 to 90 euro, while the minor residing in the north are for amounts ranging from 679 to 796 €), the failure to address the issue of inclusive education of foreign students who come today to 7% of the school population.
Children and teenagers today are at the heart of the crime. Often obsessively, almost morbid. At this noise, however, does not match a real attention to the lives of children and adolescents. Indeed there is often a push to make early and adult to flout the stages of their growth.
symptoms of increasing illness (such as the rise in eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, a greater inclination to depression, as we say operators), depending on whether the context in which they live is not likely to develop the potential childhood.
It 's a premature withdrawal and this is bad for them and for the country. We need a country that looks confidently to these challenges. Only then can we restore the confidence of children and adolescents.
should be a turning point.
Others need a framework law of childhood and adolescence funded a fund which progressively increases in relation to GDP, as we proposed. The law should contain the essential levels of social benefits and rights of children and adolescents, provide an organic framework of the profession of social norms to protect the identity of minors, the rights of citizenship to persons born on the territory of the Republic; and set up the court for the person and family relations.
b. In line with European objectives and continuing the measures already implemented by the Prodi government, the National Fund should be strengthened nurseries, with 'goal of achieving 1000 kindergartens by 2013 by improving and diversifying the provision of services. In the Green Paper the Government in the section on services for children there is not even a nod to continue the nursery floor.
2.2 Policies for youth
If young people come in later work, if not accept their presence in business and professions, if you have depleted their prerogatives, the country is facing the urgent problem of overcoming the syndrome of the late appropriate policies, to enable them to like their peers. Young people need help to seek their independence because they can not be forced to weigh on the family, as is done today. For young families are not can be a social safety net.
A first priority is to improve educational opportunities, beginning with the teenagers. Education is the foundation of personal growth and social welfare, so it is a fundamental element of our welfare. The rates of evasion and delay school Italians are among the highest in Europe in the second quarter of 2009 9.320.000 young people were out of regular education, and 4 in 10 have only a middle school.
These are critical issues related to the economic conditions of the family of origin and are concentrated in the transition from middle school to high school, once again, are particularly acute in the South. A teenager growing up in poverty and material that "escapes" to 15 or 16 years, has few opportunities to become independent. Our social policies must address these conditions. In other countries, child poverty, the material and the education is less than here, because there is support to the family income and guaranteed minimum income schemes.
We have proposed an approach learnfare, as it has spread to other countries, linking the use of effective family support school attendance by children. The ILO has also recommended a similar measure called the Minimum Income for School Attendance.
The vocational training system should be strengthened and upgraded, remained weak, without adequate investment, the establishment of school - work that in other countries (Germany) was an important factor to combat youth unemployment, has had little circulation.
More generally, the PD has proposed measures for the organic autonomy of young people.
- The first measure concerns the establishment of an endowment fund for the youth capital of the state fed by contributions of families and homes available to young people for training projects or to start businesses and business.
The fund is an institution of universal nature, but graduated on family readiness. It holds that every child is born on national territory (and goodness is accompanied by a reform of nationality based on jus soli). The Fund enters into the availability of the young once they reach the age of majority (or other conventional age) and can be integrated to the coming of age, with a loan of autonomy aimed at specific targets.
Assuming that the public contribution, is equal to 1000 € for the most vulnerable, with amounts decreasing linearly to zero for the more affluent, the cost, a regime at the expense of the state would be worth 0.4% of GDP. A young man receiving the full annual contribution to public and private contribution equivalent to 18 years (with a real interest rate of 2%) had an availability of approximately € 43,000 in the case of an annual payment of 1000 € , the sum would be € 21,500.
The Fund, which serves to facilitate the transition of young to independence, is to support the family of origin, since the lifting of a part of the cost of maintenance, now too long. The Fund is part of the active welfare of our conception, development-oriented and not a mere function of protection and support of a weak category. Engages the family of origin, empowers the new generations, directly involves young people in shaping their future. Turn a moderate contribution to the public in a robust financial leverage which can multiply the impact.
The Fund also provides support to the family of origin, for accelerating the autonomy of the children raised in a share of the cost of maintenance (too long now) and decreases anxiety. This equates to ease the burden of parenting, leading to a benefit in a way favorable to the birth. What follows is also another way: the fact is, that young person can not anticipate the late reproductive decisions Today too long delayed. E 'therefore a way to restore their prerogatives, including demographic, lost in recent decades.
Other measures for the autonomy of young people include:
- Facilities for accommodation away from home for studies and also offsite, necessary to give young people real opportunities for mobility and openness to the world.
- Voucher for young students to spend significant periods of residence and education abroad, profits to a supranational language education and, today more and more necessary
- Increased openness of access to jobs and support entrepreneurship with the car tax exemption of the first three years of activity (as expected from self-employment bill submitted by the PD in the Senate).
- autonomy and personal growth of young people should be promoted enhancing their ability and merits, by addressing the criteria patronage and "careers" for older people who weigh over a large part of Italian life from school, university and the companies themselves.
The current crisis has dramatically worsened the employment situation of young people. The latest ISTAT figures indicate that 20% of young people, more than 2 million, or study or work and they are so discouraged that even look no more: an entire generation (the NEET) abandoned.
need a special plan for the employment of these young people, as they are doing all the major European governments. We propose a national plan that offers young people a year who are in idle condition, a "dowry" to give them new possibilities of employment in subsidized private enterprises including cooperatives, for the start of occupation, business or employment independently, to complete the training (diploma, degree) in order to qualify for the species in areas where there are vacancies unfilled.
- The condition of serious hardship employment of young people today must be corrected in its implications, but also in prospect of future life, for its security implications. The pension reforms implemented to date, in particular the introduction of the method ensure the financial sustainability of the contributory system, but not the adequacy of future pensions. Today's young people, especially the many who are slow to enter the labor market or work intermittently and with low wages, inadequate pensions are intended to have their future needs, with serious consequences for their livelihoods and for the same welfare of old age. To counter this perspective should be a review of the public pension system, in order to build on two pillars: a basic pension financed by the IRS, according to the universal logic, designed to ensure that all seniors need services tailored to the needs of life, a second level, contributions that ensures additional benefits related to contributions made by individuals during their working lives (still the possibility of pensions Additional voluntary in its present form and supported by appropriate tax benefits). One such proposal was submitted by MPs in the House of PD is the Senato.Inoltre the effectiveness of the full contribution system should be guaranteed allowing full joint on favorable terms, periods of work of various kinds also held at different employers work (even on this point there Proposals for parliamentary PD)
3. Family and self-sufficiency
care of the elderly, especially not self-sufficient, is a central commitment to the welfare of future . It must be met with universal support measures and weighted to the needs of individuals. But even in this area of \u200b\u200bwelfare should be given special attention to families and women, which today bears the brunt of care, the elderly are becoming increasingly necessary in addition to that of the children. Families should be helped in this new commitment, which can not stand by sun ..
A series of measures should be aimed primarily at promoting an active life of older people to continue to be useful to them and their families (grandparents already do a lot for the grandchildren). Measures tested in other countries, and that the PD says, are: the adaptation and improvement of working conditions to increase the skills of older workers, the promotion of flexible hours and part-time mixed board to facilitate a smooth transition ; from work to retirement; targeted training, the employment of older workers for mentoring and tutoring young recruits of the diffusion of a culture that goes beyond the stereotypes that deny the qualities experience and resources present in the elderly.
Despite the measures of existing care, is worsening the problem of non-self-sufficiency. Life expectancy in our country now more than eighty years, a positive but that inevitably brings with it an increase in disabilities with a growing welfare burden for families. The weak network of home care of the municipalities and the 480 euro bonus accompanying answers are far from sufficient to cope with the rising costs for caregivers, health care, nursing home admissions Assistant. The long-term care is now the leading cause of impoverishment of Italian families after the loss of work. Other
Countries in Europe have established systems of protection of our most appropriate. Have established specific funds, financed by taxation or through insurance schemes to deal with a public risk, the long-term care in old age, now ordinary and predictable framework in the new population.
We propose a fund for the long-term care, regulated and governed by the regions, provided by INPS on the basis of levels of care and criteria set at national level, ensuring good economic contributions and differentiated service, proportionate to the severity of care needs ( see more specifically the general document presented at this conference) This can be the basis of a new pact of solidarity between generations, the most adequate and effective, we update our welfare system to the growing needs of the Third Age.
4. Family and Work. Reconciliation policies and sharing of roles.
The welfare must be reconsidered in the light of reconciliation and the sharing of family roles, women and men. The rethinking is necessary to balance these roles and recognize women greater freedom of choice between work and personal life and family. It 'also needed to support the birth, whose dramatic decline affects all our futures. The experiences of countries neighbors shows that good policies of reconciliation and sharing need to widen choice for the birth and do not contradict, indeed increased, women's employment.
Increasing women's employment that is now among the lowest in Europe and declining (46.4%), is a great support both for the economy of the country and the welfare of families. We see today more than ever how important it is to have two incomes from employment or retirement, family, and what is just a dramatic loss.
The employment policies have an important role for the welfare of families. Without labor there is no autonomy for young people, or security for the family and may be at risk the very family stability.
growth policies are needed to support the work, starting with the youth and women. The growth must be accompanied by measures that promote good jobs, a job that is enriched with rights and opportunities, not exposed to extortion by the insecurity. The measures approved by the PD against the precariousness of the National Assembly in May 2010 are more urgent than ever and a responsible government should give urgent and concrete answers. The PD has put forward proposals to establish universal shock absorbers to ensure all appropriate income protection in case of absence work, even those protections should be graded according to the family context. The shortcomings of the existing social safety nets, lack of policies in support of temporary workers, and a tool to combat poverty, also impact on a family function which aggravates their suffering and the risks of exclusion and social marginalization.
The conditions of the family, especially the family burden, have a role in limiting the freedom of choice for women.
In Italy this helps to explain a female employment rate is well below the European average (47.2%), and compared male and a further reduction now. 46% of Italian women out of the market work after their first child, and the chance to return to work depends largely on the availability of care services for children and seniors, as well as by previous employment status and educational qualifications. The same conditions, fed by the persistence of gender stereotypes to the contrary, contribute to maintaining unequal treatment against women in pay and career opportunities in both.
To combat this situation are not enough isolated interventions. It should be an integrated package of measures, such as experienced by the best European experiences in three main directions: reconciliation policies, based on the creation of services, policies tax incentive policies for income support.
In these directions the Democratic Party has put forward specific proposals for legislation in Parliament with the following measures:
- Enhancing the supply of care services for children and for the non-self-sufficiency;
- Reconciliation of time in accessing services (by the regions and local authorities)
- Incentive measures and support of flexible schedules and part-time (reversible and volunteer)
- Tax credit for the employment of women in the areas of the south
- Incentives for working mothers, employees, independent and quasi-subordinate (additional personal income tax relief to support the costs of attendance to childcare and family care services)
- incentives to employers for permanent employment of people over 35 they start or return to work after periods spent bringing up children
- rehabilitation and refinancing of the national fund for women entrepreneurs and strengthening the training of self-employed
- extension and expansion of parental leave and introducing paternity leave compulsory (up to three years of the child and compensation to 100 % of wages for income up to € 35,000 for families of three components)
- Protection Maternity of self-employed: imputed contributions in perspective and universal allowance
- Exploitation periods of maternity and nursing for pension purposes, partly to counter raising the retirement age of women
- measures for gender equality in the market labor: a balanced gender representation on boards and in the organs of society to control public evaluation of the obligation to respect equality in tenders, quality certificates of gender policies, gender impact assessment of legislation.
Some of these measures require innovations laws, but many of those concerning the reconciliation between work time and family time can be introduced by the social partners with the contracting company and territorial.
5. Services to families.
services, particularly those by the people, are a central element of welfare as we proposed, distinguishing it from welfare compensation of the past, based mainly on monetary transfers. Care services, personalized and accessible in the territory to meet the needs of all citizens. Families in particular need not only financial support to buffer the state of poverty, but also to remove the factors responsible for the difficulties of life, and that only the action of the services can do so.
The heavy cuts in government resources to local authorities lead to a serious negative impact on services that aggravate the social problems, already popular among families, and that further impoverish the territories.
Only a strong network of services as outlined by law for the reform of 328, with integrated health network may ensure the local community and home care services needed to prevent and combat the discomfort of people and families and to face the many situations of poverty. Should be established for this essential levels of social assistance, guaranteed through the action of regions and municipalities, and organized the single access point to facilitate the use of services for a real care for people living uncomfortable, even to overcome the conditions and causes for it.
funding and expanding services in the territory is a priority of our commitment to make concrete the main objectives of support to individuals and families, and performance required in this regard (see the paper on the general welfare presented at this meeting):
- Strengthen the integrated home care, particularly aimed at meeting the needs of elderly, disabled and incapacitated
- promote the full integration of disabled people and address the unprecedented challenge of "after us", the protection of severely disabled people who are deprived of family support
- Accompanying the difficult process of integration of immigrant communities
- to situations of poverty with a special fund provided by local services with real care for people living economic hardship, even to overcome the conditions and causes which have led
- Qualify consultoriali services for the family
For all these services cost schemes expenditure, broken down according to instruments of "means test" are useful to improve, relying on public finances, the amount of services offered. Public support can take the form of an endowment for the public good service, that he can use to pay providers of services in a regulated market (as in the French).
network services should be involved in the energies and resources of civil society, with a true partnership between public and private sectors.
The third sector has played a central role in promoting the culture and needs of social services, from nursery to home care, is crucial for directing and supporting social planning based on knowledge of the actual needs of individuals and families elle.
6. The policies and management on their territories.
family welfare policies require a joint commitment and continuing both civil society and institutions, public and local stations. The regions and local authorities have acquired skills crucial in defining these policies and especially in the management of services. In recent years, have developed a wealth of experience, integrating and improving the state measures. This is true even in regions administered by the center-right, but our administrators have shown in this case particular sensitivity of reform and effectiveness of intervention. These best practices are a common heritage and should serve as a benchmark report that all the various local projects.
The process of federalism, laboriously started and still uncertain, will have a key test of the ability of the administrative and fiscal responsibility on all local improvement in the quality and dissemination of welfare policies, and effectiveness in supporting the experiences best and encourage others to conform to the highest standards.
Professor Tiziano Treu
PD Senator of the Italian Republic
