Following Murdock's idea of ​​the nuclear family, additional family types were devised. According to the Office for National Statistics (2013) the most common family type is the married couple with or without children, making up 12.3 million households out of 18.2 million households in total, in the UK. The family is undoubtedly one of the most important aspects of society and plays an essential role in meeting an individual's emotional and physical needs, necessary to achieve economic and social growth. The other most common family types include single-parent families, cohabiting couple families, same-sex cohabiting families, extended families, and blended families. It has been argued that a family does not have to be nuclear to function effectively. As long as a family provides a support system for the adults and children within it, then it will be a positive family structure. However, it should be noted that the increase in nuclear family breakups and the decrease in extended families have significantly increased anxiety and worry in young children and a considerable growth in the number of adolescents and adults suffering from depression. A contemporary issue that can impact social policy and society is unemployment. Due to the 2008 recession, the UK is in an economic crisis which has had a direct effect on employment rates. Lack of work can affect children in many ways, including negative effects on mental health, erosion of skills and denial of educational opportunities for children. One of the most common negative side effects of unemployment is poor mental health. If someone loses their job, this can have a negative impact on them as there is a loss of routine, lack of motivation and lack of income,......half of paper......receiving treatment of high quality which will benefit them in future life. To conclude, this assignment explored and critically analyzed the development and impact of contemporary issues and social policy on children and their families in the UK. He examined the concept of social policy and its meaning. The work examined the meaning of family and the different types of existing families, including the nuclear family. The meaning and impact of the “modern family” was also discussed. Two areas of social policy were examined in depth. The areas covered were employment and gender roles and were analyzed and discussed to see how they impact both individuals and the effect they have on a wider level, on society and globally. Social policy areas have been linked to practice to see the influence they have on contexts.