Family support and protection in Spain

This chapter first reviews the historical evolution of Spanish family law, the place of family policy in the Spanish constitution, and the role of the main family policy actors. For a long time, family policy remained one of the least developed areas of social policy, and it primarily focused on the special needs of families raising more children than the average. Spanish family law reacted slowly to the societal changes in family life, and since the mid‑2000s, many reforms placed the country in line with international developments in terms of divorce, same‑sex marriage, parental responsibilities, and child custody and support, among others. The chapter also describes the features and access conditions to the main transfer programmes, early childhood care services, and family leave and housing policies. It then reviews the overall public spending on family benefits and services in Spain and presents evidence on the redistributive impact of the Spanish welfare state.