Family education as a support to families where children are with special needs is mentioned in family politics statements. Unfortunately, family education problems in rural areas characterise present day situation in Latvia. Professionals with less specific knowledge essential to deal with special needs satisfaction is a reality in rural areas in Latvia. It is vital to advance family autonomy, develop an opportunity to deal with consequences that disabilities cause and, improve environmental conditions for children with special needs. The aim of this article is to fortify necessity of family education as a partnership comprehension development to children with special needs in rural area. The investigation was carried out in National Rehabilitation centre ”Vaivari” in April 2012, by involving families with children with special needs. Analysis of scientific resources has been done; survey and statistical analysis of data were carried out, by using non-parametric method - Mann Whitney U test. During the research, the main family education comprehension aspects to families living in rural or city area and having children with special needs are identified. The advantages in special needs satisfaction context in rural areas and city environment are analysed. Measurements of respondent attitude to innovative family education e-solutions are made. Objectively and subjectively determined social isolation risk of families having children with special needs in rural area show the necessity to use family resources related to consequences that disabilities create. It is necessary to develop ways to use modern technological opportunities, provide appropriate family education and partnership with professionals.

Family relations have always played and still play an important role in the system of social relations. The family is a primary social cell; if executes the fundamental functions of prolongation of relation, upbringing of young generation, and mutual moral and material support of family members. One of the main stages of family creation from both legal and social points of view is contracting a marriage. The form of entering into a marriage and the definition of family legal relations have been changing in the run of history depending on the culture, church and state relationship, and general philosophy of the particular period of time. The Old Testament of Holy Writ gives information about the marriage. In the ancient times marriage and family were more of a religious institution managed by the church, but as marriage is the roof of every legal establishment - family, relations, church, and state - it attracted a wider mass attention. The social and legal relations and aspects of Lithuanian rural family setting and its existence of different periods were really original and interesting. Researching the conception and development of the legal and social family relations and comparing them to the modern law, essential differences can be observed, but at the same similarities, which have not changed till our times, can be found. At all times the prevailing family model in Lithuania was the traditional family model and the main differences in comparison to the modern family model are the forms of marriage registration and its stability. This family model was predominant in the rural areas of late XIX century Lithuania.

Social protection for families with children is one of the priorities Latvia has highlighted in its strategic planning documents. Moreover, the priority being advanced for several planning periods indicates on the necessity to improve social security and foster the birth rate in the country. The research aim is to develop priority scenarios for possible improvement of social protection for families with children in Latvia. The authors put forward four scenarios for the improvement of social protection for families with children in Latvia, of which the experts in the field recognised the replacement of the personal income tax relief for children with a larger family state benefit as the priority. This would ensure fairer support for all families with children, including those on low incomes. Also, increasing the minimum wage and reducing the shadow economy would improve the social protection of families with children. Evaluating the criteria of population interests, the experts recognised the increase of family social security as more important than the increase in the number of children in the family, as the increase of social protection would contribute to the increase in the number of children in families thereof.

Social benefits are essential in providing support to families with children, especially in the first years of the child’s life as well as to families at risk of poverty (large families, parents raising a child alone). Social insurance benefits ensure parents with income while taking care of a child. Latvia’s strategic planning documents have defined social protection for families with children as one of the priority areas for several planning periods simultaneously emphasising the need to increase social security and promote the birth rate in the country. The research aim is to assess the social benefits system for families with children in Latvia. The research results allow concluding that the expenditure for social support for families with children as percentage of GDP in Latvia is lower than the average EU Member States indicator as well as it is the lowest one among the Baltic States. Support for families with children in Latvia is gradually growing; however, it is necessary to regularly increase the childbirth allowance taking into account inflation in order not to worsen the financial situation of these families as well as to allocate a larger proportion of GDP to support families with children in Latvia.