About the Families and Households Commission

The origin of the Archbishops’ Commission lies in Archbishop Justin’s 2018 book ‘Reimagining Britain: Foundations for Hope’.
Professor Janet Walker, Chair and Revd Paul Butler, Co-Chair of the Archbishops' Commission on Families and Households at the launch of the final report

As the Archbishop articulated in a key chapter, ‘Family – Caring for the Core’, the Commission sought to reimagine families and households in the 21st Century, exploring what enables them to flourish.

The Commission was established to consider how to renew support for families and households in England. The Commission’s Report offers practical and deliverable ideas on what enables families and households to thrive and prosper as the cornerstone of every community in our society.

The Commission focused in particular on four areas:

  1. The theology underpinning our understanding of family life and households within society;
  2. The social history of families and households across the centuries and into the 21st century, and the changing nature and expectations of family life;
  3. How to promote and support the well-being of children and young people;
  4. Couple relationships, marriage, civil partnerships, cohabitation; and conflict resolution.

Working with experts, stakeholder groups, and people with lived experience, the Families and Households Commission had a wide remit. The Commission made numerous visits to different organisations, worked with MPs and Peers, issued a Call for Evidence to gather information about the context of families and households in 2021, taking account of the impact of the pandemic. The Commission has aimed at every stage of its work to ensure that it was responsive to the needs and voices of families and households, placing children and young people at the centre. The Commission published its report on 26 April 2023.

Any questions or enquiries about the Commission should be directed to our contact page. We would be delighted to receive and comments about our work, the contents of the report, and and to receive ideas about how you would like to take forward the recommendations into your area of expertise or concern.