Improving the lives of the people in the society is one of the primary goals of the local government, national government, voluntary services as well as the charities. Members of the society also work hard to ensure that they can sustain a comfortable life that is free from struggles. Society is made of families. There are families that are regarded as those of lower status while there are others that are of higher status regarding the income. The national government and the local government have in place strategies that ensure these families are treated with equity to ensure everyone lives a desired lifestyle. Children are a special group in the society. They are assisted by their parents and other relevant bodies in the society to help them become better versions of themselves. Social policies have been set by both the local and the national government to ensure that the lives of children and families have been improved. Local governments have passed different legislation that is aimed at improving the livelihood of the children. Charities and voluntary services have not been left behind in work to improve the lives of children and families. People of good will donate their funds and other resources to these bodies which in turn use them to benefit the lives of children and families in society. This paper will look into how the national government, local government, charities as well as voluntary services all work to enhance the lives of children and families.
The national governments in most of the countries have introduced the system of the free education system for a primary and secondary level to assist all the children and other members of the society to have better lives in the future (Kadzamira, 2003). Offering free education system ensures that every member of the society regardless of the economic or social background of the person goes to school (Wangyal, 2001). It offers an opportunity to all the bright students that are in the society the opportunity to go to school and learn a lot of things that can help them in their lives (Fiske, 1996). The free education system also reduces the burden of paying school fees to the children (Lall, 2005). There are parents that are low income and therefore cannot afford to pay even the basic school fees. The national government of most countries has come in to remove the barrier of poverty from hindering children to go to school. Through the free education, children can achieve their dreams in life and become whoever they want to be in life. School gives birth to engineers, doctors, accountants and many others (Legotlo, 2014). These are people with high income who live decent lifestyles (Chen, 2017). When someone is educated in a family, the person will develop and in future, assist other members of the society to become better people in the society.
The improved health system is also one of the social policies carried out by both the national and the local government to help the families and children in the society. The national government and the local government ensure that there are trained medical parishioners in every health care center that will ensure everybody gets improved medical care (Ventola, 2014). Also, both the local and the national government have set many healthcare centers that ensure members of the society are close to at least one medical care that can help them. The cost of medical services has also been subsidized in the healthcare centers to ensure that children and families die of their diseases just because of lack of funds to get better medical services. This is an indication that the government is working towards improving the lives of children and families (Flores, et al. 2013). These have a positive impact on the children and the families in that they can easily access healthcare services at subsidized costs (Drummond, et al. 2015). The community also benefits in that the built healthcare facilities create employment opportunities for them which will, in turn, help them improve their standards of living (Burwell, 2015). The charities and voluntary services also play a great role in improving the health of children and families in the society. They offer free seminars and counseling sessions to the children and other family members on ways to live a healthy lifestyle (Solomon, et al. 2014). This is a contribution towards improving the lives of children and families in the society.
Maintaining and fostering of children welfare is another integral function played by both the national government, the local government as well as by the charitable organizations. The charitable organizations offer services that positively impact the lives of children and the entire society. For instance, they engage in the development and building of hospitals, orphanages, schools as well as religious centers. The national and the local government together with these charitable organizations partner in various aspects such as combating social diseases that are affecting children such as drug abuse, fostering personal empowerment and helping in narrowing the gap between the poor and the rich. Both the national as well as the local authorities in a bid to enhance children welfare have enacted policies and legislation aimed at children welfare. Through these federal laws, states now understand how to fund and deliver child protection, adoption programs, and services as well as child welfare (O’Neill & Zinga, 2008). Children under the children Act have myriad rights and responsibilities which all stakeholders including the national, local and charitable organizations have to foster and sustain (Freeman, 2006). All children are obligated to the right to association with parents, physical protection, universal paid education, food, criminal laws appropriate to them and health care (Alston, Parker, Seymour & Australian National University, 1995). They also have a right for equal protection with regards to their civil rights as well as the freedom from discrimination based on the child’s gender, race, national origin, sexual orientation, color, disability, religion, ethnicity or any other characteristics (Freeman, 1997). All these children rights have been enacted by governments. However, interpretations vary allowing kids the capacity for sovereign action to the implementation or rather enforcement of children being mental, physically or emotionally free from abuse, but what constitutes abuse varies from one government to another (Frick, 2011). Stringent measures have always been brought forth, and people against these rights have always faced the full force of the law.
Creation of job opportunities both by the national and the local government also help in fostering the well being of children indirectly and directly. Every society desires a healthy and productive coexistence. Government through different programmes has fostered job creation among its populace (Richter, Manegold & Pather, 2004). The government understands the creation of jobs, the well being and living standards of its populace will be improved, and consequently, the families will have enough income to sustain their families and the children (Veerman, 1991). Moreover, through economic empowerment through creations of jobs enhances the security and the coexistence among the population.
The national and local government provides amenities such as infrastructural amenities that are integral to enhancing the livelihood of its populace. Infrastructural facilities such as the development of roads network advantage not only the adults but also the children when engaging in their activities. Local government develops recreational facilities where children can go to have fun. Children are active and need to play a lot to grow when they are all round beings, and thus the provision of playing and recreational facilities is integral to their well-being. Furthermore, these governments provide security to regions (Bohannon-Kaplan, 1991). By providing adequate security, the entire population including the children are sure of their security. There have been cases of children abduction in the past, however, with enhanced security coupled with stringent measures taken against those engaged in such practices such practices have significantly reduced. Through such policies, the well being of the children has been fostered. The government has also subsidized the charges and taxation for services being rendered to children (Chrétien, 1972). For instance, services such as education and healthcare have been greatly subsidized with the primary motive to make the services available to all children without any segregation. The government also grants aids to families that are poor or cannot afford some services. Governments also partner with other organizations to enhance the services they provide to children. Charitable organizations, for instance, partner with this government to provide services to the poor, the disabled children and the malnourished or rather children in hardship conditions (Richter, Manegold & Pather, 2004).
In conclusion, it has been ascertained from the above discussion that both the national and local government as well as charitable organizations all play an important role in enhancing the well being of children in all spheres of their lives. From the discussion functions such as the provision of education, healthcare facilities, policies that enhance children welfare, provision of social and infrastructural amenities and provision of security are some of the functions that have been comprehensively looked into.
- Alston, P., Parker, S., Seymour, J., & Australian National University. (1995). Children, rights, and the law. Oxford [England: Clarendon Press.
- Bohannon-Kaplan, M. (1991). What, if any, should government’s role be regarding child care in the United States?: Excerpts from the 1991 Harry Singer Foundation essay contest. Carmel?, Calif.: Wellington Publications.
- Burwell, S. M. (2015). Setting value-based payment goals—HHS efforts to improve US health care. N Engl J Med, 372(10), 897-899.
- Chen, E. E., & Li, H. (2017). Early childhood education in Taiwan. In Early Childhood Education in Chinese Societies(pp. 217-232). Springer Netherlands.
- Chrétien, J. (1972). Minority children and the role of Government: An address … at the World Federation for Mental Health, Symposium “Culturally and linguistically handicapped children.”. Ottawa: Dept. of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.
- Drummond, M. F., Sculpher, M. J., Claxton, K., Stoddart, G. L., & Torrance, G. W. (2015). Methods for the economic evaluation of health care programmes. Oxford university press.
- Farrell, C. (2010). Children’s Rights. Minnesota, Edina: ABDO Publishing.
- Fiske, E. B. (1996). Decentralization of education: Politics and consensus (Vol. 36). World Bank Publications.
- Flores, M., Glusman, G., Brogaard, K., Price, N. D., & Hood, L. (2013). P4 medicine: how systems medicine will transform the healthcare sector and society. Personalized medicine, 10(6), 565-576.
- Freeman, M. D. A. (1997). The moral status of children: Essays on the rights of the child. The Hague, The Netherlands: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.
- Freeman, M. D. A. (2006). Children’s health and children’s rights. Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.
- Frick, S. S. (2011). Children’s rights: Experienced and claimed : children’s reports to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Berlin: Lit.
- Kadzamira, E., & Rose, P. (2003). Can free primary education meet the needs of the poor?: evidence from Malawi. International journal of educational development, 23(5), 501-516.
- Lall, M. (2005). The challenges for India’s education system. Briefing Paper ASP BP, 5(03).
- Legotlo, M. W. (Ed.). (2014). Challenges and issues facing the education system in South Africa. Africa Institute of South Africa.
- O’Neill, T., & Zinga, D. (2008). Children’s rights: Multidisciplinary approaches to participation and protection. Toronto [Ont.: University of Toronto Press.
- Richter, L., Manegold, J., & Pather, R. (2004). Family and community interventions for children affected by AIDS. Cape Town: HSRC Publ.
- Solomon, D. H., Patrick, A. R., Schousboe, J., & Losina, E. (2014). The Potential Economic Benefits of Improved Postfracture Care: A Cost‐Effectiveness Analysis of a Fracture Liaison Service in the US Health‐Care System. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 29(7), 1667-1674.
- Veerman, P. E. (1991). The rights of the child and the changing image of childhood. International studies in human rights, v. 18. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Nijhoff.
- Ventola, C. L. (2014). Mobile devices and apps for health care professionals: uses and benefits. Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 39(5), 356.
- Wangyal, T. (2001). Ensuring Social Sustainability: Can Bhutan’s Education System Ensure Intergenerational Transmission of Values?.