A great deal of popular discourse assumes that in a post modern age there has been an erosion of commitment of people to the groups to which they belong and that their sense of responsibility for the well being of others has been undermined. In families, it is frequently asserted, members are more concerned about their own well being than that of other family members and this is seen in many areas of family life including feelings of responsibility for members of one's extended family. At the same time, the general direction of government policies in many western countries is to assume that, with some support for governments, family members will be available and willing to care for family members who need it. The emphasis on community care for the aged frequently relies on other family members providing care for older family members. Using data from The Australian Family Values Survey (1995), The Australian Family Life Course Study (1996) and the Later Life Families Study (1996), conducted by the Australian Institute of Family Studies this paper examines the values and expectations of representative samples of Australian adults about the responsibility of children to provide care and support for elderly parents and will enable an assessment of the extent to which policy directions are built on a solid normative base within the Australian community. It also examines the norms and expectations across the generations to test the proposition that there is an emerging generation gap regarding filial responsibilities.