The article describes the basic foreign social practices of work with the family as a basic social institu-tion prevailing in modern society. The family is seen as the most important institution of education and socialization, which is associated with fundamental functions of reproduction, conservation and sustainable development of a person and society. Under the influence of globalization are the rapid processes of change and deformation of traditional social institutions, values, life goals and meanings, connections and relationships of people that have a negative impact on the performance of the basic functions of the family. In the context of the transformation of the family as a social institution, the general factor of its conservation, adaptation and capacity, along with the self-organization of people is the state social policy. The present article describes the main foreign social practices used in modern family policy in many countries – to expand the network of kindergartens, child care during the day, financial support for families with children, services for sick child care for working parents, the establishment of family centers education and family counseling, services for organization protection of children from violence in the family, the organization of research centers on the study of family problems. It also describes substantive features of national forms of social assistance to the family practice in Sweden (Contact model of work with the family), the UK (Bridge family as a form of placing children), in Poland (Formation of a local cooperation network). According to the author, the more significant in today's social practices becomes open and prompt exchange of information and technology in this area at the level of different national experience.