Measures of family support include financial assistance for families through cash benefits or tax transfers, the provision of family services, including improved access to affordable and quality child care, access to parental leave, and greater flexibility in work arrangements towards better employment opportunities for families with young children, especially lone parents.

Reconciling work and family life involves two key goals for both individuals and society: being able to work, seeking self-fulfilment and earning an income to provide for one’s family; and Providing the best care and nurturing for one's own children. These aspirations need not be mutually exclusive. However, a failure to balance work and care commitments has implications for either labour force or family decisions - or both. Parents - or would-be parents - may decide to delay having children, have fewer than they really want, or not have children at all.

The OECD Social Policy Division has produced a series of publications to address the question. Babies and Bosses (Vol. 1, 2002) covers Australia, Denmark and the Netherlands. Babies and Bosses (Vol. 2, 2003) covers Austria, Ireland and Japan. Babies and Bosses (Vol. 3, 2004)  covers New Zealand, Portugal and Switzerland. Babies and Bosses (Vol. 4, 2005)  covers Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. An overview issue with indicators for all OECD countries will be published in the second part of 2007.

The OECD Family database is being developed to give a cross-national view of the situation of families with children, and some indicators have already become available with more information to be released throughout 2007. First results of OECD Work on Child well-being, in particular on support policies for families with children not yet participating in compulsory education will also become available in 2007.

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