Comparison of the Support for Families with Children in the Czech Republic, Sweden, and Great Britain in the year 2019

The subject of the master’s thesis is the comparison of the support for families with children in the Czech Republic, Sweden, and Great Britain in the year 2019. In the theoretical part of the thesis a description of social policy, welfare state, family, family policy and its typology is provided. The practical part contains an analysis of family policies in selected countries and the quantity of benefits obtained with the use of the “Model Family Method”. Through this method the size of financial benefit and tax relief aimed towards families with children is examined; services for families are not considered in the calculation. Macroeconomic evaluation is embodied in comparison of family policy expenditures. State aid among the chosen countries is aimed mostly towards low-income families and parents with young children. Governmental expenditures addressed to families are on the rise in most European countries; differences between support for model families in the Czech Republic, Sweden and Great Britain are not as profound as the family policy typology would suggest. Following the family typology, familistic Sweden gives out benefits to families uniformly, refamilistic Czech Republic transmits the care of a child unto its family, and Great Britain supports families who are on the brink of a safety net. Contrary to researchers who classify Great Britain as a defamilistic country, the author argues that despite some defamilistic features that occur, Great Britain´s high public spending on family benefits does not allow the country to be addressed as such.