A Positive Approach to Strengthening All Families
Our families shape who we are. A strong, healthy, caring family can make a lot of difference in our lives. When we don't have a family like that, it’s harder to thrive in life and to overcome the challenges that we face.
What Makes Families Strong?
Building on 20 years of groundbreaking Developmental Assets research, Search Institute conducted a national research study to identify a set of “Family Assets” that make a major difference in the lives of both kids and parenting adults.
Video: Search Institute's framework of Family Assets grows out of a great deal of research on family strengths. Experts in the field comment on the qualities of strong families.
How Families Live Together
The Family Assets focus on how families function, not on their structure. Illuminating the ways families live their lives together—how they relate to each other, how they spend their time, and how they connect to others–allows us to draw out what it is families do in their day-to-day interactions that lead to positive outcomes. The Family Assets recognize that family members of all ages both contribute to and benefit from a strong family.
Why Family Assets Matter
Search Institute’s new research, The American Family Assets Study, shows that the more of these Family Assets families experience, the better off family members are. They are more satisfied with their lives, healthier, and more engaged with the community around them. Kids from families with more assets are also more likely to engage in learning at school and develop close relationships with others.
Download a copy of the StudyShifting the Conversation
Too much of the conversation about families is about what’s wrong, when they fail, their vulnerabilities and stresses, or whether certain types of families are better than others. The result is that families are rarely celebrated for the strengths they offer both family members and society at large.
A Positive Agenda to Support Families
Family Assets call for a different agenda. They focus on identifying, celebrating, and investing in the strengths that are present and possible in all kinds of families. They emphasize what we hold in common as well as the unique strengths present in different families. And they invite each of us to help each and every family intentionally build the assets that will help families enjoy life together, overcome challenges, and strengthen society both now and for the future.
Search Institute’s work on Family Assets is part of its ParentFurther resource, which is committed to supporting parents and families in taking everyday steps to raise successful kids.
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