Families are the answer to boosting life chances

There is no doubt the last 12 months have put enormous pressure on home life and families. But they have also reminded us of an eternal truth, that our families are almost always the best support mechanisms any of us have to fall back on.

So, it is perhaps now, after this difficult time for so many, that you could argue we have never valued the concept of family as highly. We need to take this moment, because I don't believe we talk about family enough in Westminster. We have perhaps lost the confidence to talk about family in a positive way and the positive contribution families make to our national life.

Families have many of the answers and we must give families, in all their shapes and sizes, the chance to thrive without the need for state intervention. This means breaking down barriers like allowing adoption for mixed-race parents, encouraging flexible working hours, with working from home now a lasting change for many. Traditional family roles have also changed and adapted since our grandparents' generation: mums going back into work, and dads are expected to share childcare responsibilities.

We can be proud we have reached a new, more modern age of family life. What has not changed is that being part of a stable, loving family is one of the best mechanisms for boosting life chances.

I make no apologies for thinking there is a positive role for government to play for parents and their children at these points in their lives – because support is often too fragmented just when it is most needed. Government should be here to empower and equip parents, not to strip them of their role and responsibility. The last thing any child needs is for government to take away a parent's rights to decide and responsibility to provide for their child.

We are pushing ahead with plans to support the growth of family hubs. I have instructed officials to draw up plans to increase the number of family hubs currently in operation. A family hub is a place for parents to go, with their children and access help that might otherwise be too hard to find. They could meet health visitors, access classes on parenting and receive wider support.

We are already investing £14 million to champion family hubs, including launching a National Centre for Family Hubs, whose role will be to champion family hubs and spread best practice and evidence on integrated family service models. I am pleased to announce the Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families will run this national centre, and we expect it to be up and running shortly.

This is an edited extract from a speech on 19 May to launch an online panel discussion hosted by the Centre for Social Justice.