Strengthening Families

The Issue:
All the world's problems either begin in families or end up in families. The world thrusts challenges upon families that the families are forced to endure, and sometimes families create problems for themselves because of an inability to communicate positively, creatively respond to conflict, or find successful ways of meeting life's difficulties and instead compounding their own problems.

The Response:
Family education programs based on three decades of research on strong families conducted at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have proven to be quite successful in helping family members strengthen their relationships with each other. The programs focus on the qualities of strong families around the world: appreciation and affection for each other; positive communication; commitment to the family; enjoyable time together; a sense of spiritual well-being and shared values; and the ability to manage stress and crisis effectively. At a recent national conference in Seattle, the UNL for Families team recently received one of five nation-wide awards for outstanding efforts in strengthening families from the Annie E. Casey Foundation/4-H Youth Development Program. A new book, Family Treasures: Creating Strong Families, by the UNL for Families Action Team has been published by Extension. The book explains the International Family Strengths Model in very readable terms for families, and offers more than 60 activities family members can do together to help strengthen their relationship in the six major areas of family strength.

Coalitions and Partners:
Family education programs and family-friendly policy efforts developed by University of Nebraska Extension specialists, educators, and countless partners across the state of Nebraska link a wide variety of organizations, including schools, colleges, and universities; health-care organizations and institutions; the business community; family- and social-serivce organizations; a wide variety of faith communities; and the broad spectrum of ethnic and cultural groups.

Impact and Results:
Education makes a critical difference in our lives every day. People learn to read a book, use a computer, drive a car, succeed at a job. And they also can learn, using research-based ideas and approaches, to live a more meaningful, satisfying, and loving life in their families. On-going surveys of educational impact tell us that program participants find the presentations and written materials helpful in their daily lives. As the late Dr. David R. Mace said, "Nothing in the world could make human life happier than to increase greatly the number of strong families and happy couples."

Links:
See the UNL for Families website for ideas and activities to strengthen your family: http://unlforfamilies.unl.edu

Faculty Contact Information:

John DeFrain, Ph.D.
Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
254 Mabel Lee Hall
Lincoln NE 68588-0236

(402) 472-1659
jdefrain1@unl.edu