ABSTRACT
Family strengths encompass the relationships, patterns of interaction, and support systems that protect families, especially during times of hardship. It helps individual family members thrive, as well as maintain the cohesion of the family unit. Family life education (FLE) brings a strengths-based perspective to working with families. The primary goal of FLE is to work with families to build inner strengths and capacities to prevent problems before they arise. To develop family strengths in the face of multitude of challenges, professionals work with families to help them to recognize their own strengths, foster family resilience, as well as connect families to valuable community resources and services. Resilience describes the ability of a family to withstand and rebound from adversity. Fostering family resiliency during prevention and intervention efforts brings a strengths-based approach to professionals work. Human development and family studies (HDFS) professionals often work in careers that help connect families with local, state, and federal social services.
