The family is the fundamental unit of society—a place to which more than one person belongs. It is a place of generation, both the beginning and the end. A place for the giving and sharing of life. A place of origination: where I’ve come from, who I’ve been, and what I will become.
Capita’s concern is not about who rightfully belongs in a family or what the family looks like but rather that it is stable—a source of strength and dependability for those who belong to it, especially the children who rely on it. In this environment, a child can grow, become, and flourish. At the same time, adults can navigate the complexities of life, and elders grow old and pass on.
We are all children, and thus, we all have families. We have come from somewhere, and we are going somewhere. To be is to be the child of other persons, to have been generated and born. We all have a beginning and an end; both are found in the family. The origin of my life and my life’s destiny is found in my family. Thus, in the family – in this particular family – I discover who I am.
The family is life-giving. It is a place of security, hope, and possibility. In it, I find both my past and my future. While families may struggle, fracture, and face hardship, no one is truly independent of their family. This is why society must accompany families—to strengthen and support them, ensuring they remain sources of care, stability, and renewal. A family does not exist in isolation but in an ecosystem. Its strength is drawn from the people and communities around it—the networks of care, support, and shared responsibility that sustains it. A flourishing family, in turn, helps build a flourishing community.
Indeed, the stability and quality of family life are the prime determinants of individual flourishing, our communities’ health, and the strength of our nations. Our laws, infrastructure, systems, programs, culture, and services must reflect these truths.