| Sumario: | It is worthwhile for the United States to develop a national policy dedicated to the maintenance of stable, well-functioning, independent families. Since the family falls somewhere between Motherhood and the automobile in hierarchy of values, such an assumption is hardly problematic for most Americans. Any attempt to analyze how public policy can have an impact on families must take into consideration the wide variation in family types extant in the United States today. Such variation includes more than the usual classifications of class, ethnicity, and racial differences. It also includes a variety of forms ranging from childless couples through extended families and a multitude of diverse arrangements such as homosexual marriages with children, single-sex households, etc. Despite these critical family variations, there remain core elements that are common to all families and which provide a basis for considering uniform family policies. The family is more of a multipurpose institution than any other in the society. The modern family, rather than abrogating its economic, social, educational, and protective functions, coexists with governmental, educational, social and economic institutions in the society in supporting, training, and assisting individuals in their efforts to cope with the environment.
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