The Families and Whānau Status Report is a series that aims to enrich our understanding of family and whānau wellbeing. Measuring family wellbeing is complicated, not just because there is no universally agreed definition of what we mean by family or wellbeing, but also because multiple and inter-related factors impact on the daily activities, functions and living arrangements of families.
The structure of families and whānau in New Zealand is changing. Current demographic trends such as smaller family sizes, increased longevity, relatively high fertility levels, higher rates of household formation and dissolution, are all part of the shifting demographic context. A rapidly changing society is also putting new pressures on families and whānau, making it important to review how well they are standing up to new economic and social circumstances, expectations and values.
Purpose
The main purpose of this report is to set out the proposed Family and Whānau Wellbeing Frameworks and discuss how these will be used to measure and monitor family and whānau wellbeing. In developing our thinking about how to measure family and whānau wellbeing, the Commission recognises that the concept of family and what is valued can differ by culture.