I think we have a culture of work in this country and a Puritan work ethic to go with it that puts stresses and strains on the family unit.  Americans work long hours, and in most cases both parents work.  This is a lot of demand on a family unit to hold down two full time jobs and then hold together a family unit as well.  The general expectation is that people should work as hard as they can to take care of their family, and if they cannot for any reason, then they are social failures, not entitled to public assistance.  This is a uniquely American shame.

The  purpose of government is to safeguard rights.  One of those is to have a free economic system in which individuals may prosper, free from onerous government regulation.  Charity is the purview of churches and social groups, and those in need should seek help there.    Government should not do for individuals what they should do for themselves, but it should allow them to do what they wish as long as they do not violate another's rights.

If people are in great need, there will be (at least in the US) some civic organization with great supply.  Consider the Red Cross, for example. I'm sure they're much more effective in reducing need than any government program could be.  Who wants a bunch of politicians deciding whether or not you're entitled to get aid?

I think that the answer to the question depends on which demands are being made. One example where there is a woeful lack of government support is maternity/paternity leave and child care. In many developed countries, paid time off with new children is a right for both parents, with job protection ensuring that they don’t lose their employment. Government-provided and subsidized child care is also provided in many industrialized nations. In the United States, we expect mothers to figure out child care on their own, with little or no help from their own husbands in many cases. Mobility has led to fragmentation of the extended family, so it’s not as though Grandmother or Auntie is right next door to provide free child care while Mom works.

In the culture where I grew up, people made way more demands on family and way fewer on government. For example: When you get old, you don't go on Social Security -- your family takes care of you. If you lose your job, you don't get unemployment -- your family takes care of you. If your house blows down in a typhoon (hurricane), you don't ask FEMA for help -- your family helps you. Now, I don't know if that would be feasible in a big advanced society like the US, but I do know we here in the US ask more from our government and less from our family than people did where I grew up.

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