European Families Facing Hard Times: Challenges, Strategies, and Family Policies

This book contains two Open Access chapters. Families in Europe have faced many challenges in the early years of the 21st Century that have disrupted everything from care services to education. From the frequent periods of lockdown in face of the Covid-19 pandemic to the devastation wrought by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, many families have been left with nothing but uncertainty. In this edited collection of carefully curated chapters from researchers across Europe, the authors create a comprehensive and engaged look at the strategies employed to overcome unprecedented hardships for European families. Split across three parts, the chapters discuss topics such as problems of childcare, work-life balance, parenting while living in economic hardship, parenting children with special needs, paternity leave, care and assistance policies, and more. The chapters include a strong focus not only on innovative policy measures for mitigating these challenges, but also on the methods developed by families themselves to cope with the pressures of contemporary life. With meticulous research and a rich exploration of current European family life, European Families Facing Hard Times is a unique volume for those wanting to further their understanding of modern-day family policies and social care.