We believe that the future of Hungary’s economic and social development hinges on to what extent today’s children grow into happy and healthy adults, and on their sense of security, self-assuredness and self-confidence, Deputy State Secretary for Family Affairs Tünde Fűrész said at a Budapest conference on Tuesday, adding that this is greatly dependent on the families they grow up in.

Ms. Fűrész said that supporting families who undertake to have and raise children is a government priority, while Hungarian society as a whole should be made even more child and family-friendly. The welfare and well-being of children cannot be dissociated from the well-being and welfare of families or their material, spiritual and mental state, she pointed out, adding that Hungary’s law on families expressly states that there can be no harmonious society without harmonious families and that well-balanced children can only come from such harmonious families.

While the main responsibility lies with the families themselves, the protection of children and young people is also the duty and responsibility of the state, local governments, NGOs, churches, the media and the private sector, the Deputy State Secretary said.

(State Secretariat for Family and Youth Affairs)