What is FamilyMatters!

FamilyMatters! is a multi-stakeholder movement to provide greater support for Family Life Education (FLE) programmes and resources at different life stages, delivered through channels like the schools, workplaces and community groups.

Key Highlights

1. Enhanced support for family education programmes at all life stages and via different channels
   
   FamilyMatters! will provide more funding support to partners to organise FLE programmes. The revised funding guidelines incorporate higher funding norms/provisions, and have been extended to include activities for singles, as well as interactive family activities which contain strong family education elements. In addition to allowing funds to be used for programmes offered by non-profit organisations, FamilyMatters! will allow partners to use funds for FLE programmes provided by commercial providers, which will be vetted or audited by the Ministry to ensure alignment and quality. The funding will encourage a full suite of family education programmes to be offered to families at different life stages, from relationships skills, to marriage preparation and enrichment, parenting and work-life.
2. Intensifying workplace outreach
   
   Apart from supporting partners in schools and the community, FamilyMatters! will step up efforts to bring FLE programmes to the workplace. In addition to enhanced funding detailed in (a) above, we will also provide companies with support in programme planning and administration. For companies willing to commit to fulfil 16 hours of FLE programme a year, the Ministry will fund up to $5,000 per organisation to engage a person or service provider to plan and implement their year-long FLE programme.
3. Building capability of FLE industry
   
   Over the next one year, FamilyMatters! will increase the number of trained family life educators by developing a certificate of Family Life Education, and enhance quality through more training platforms to share best practices, research and continual learning. FamilyMatters! will also offer funding to non-profit organisations for structured training of family life educators, development of new FLE content, and research.

Key Components

1. FamilyMatters@School: A school outreach strategy which aims to make family education more accessible to students and their parents at schools, as well as encourage interaction opportunities for youths in Institutes of Higher Learning. 
   
   Funding Schemes Available: 
   
   
   1. Preschools
      
      • Funding open to preschools who wish to organise FLE programmes for parents;
      • 80-20 co-funding of programmes up to $600/hr (capped at 4hrs).
   2. Primary Schools/Secondary Schools/Junior Colleges
      
      • Programme funding of $20,000/year to organise FLE programmes for parents and students;
      • Schools are expected to commit to 100hrs of FLE programmes/year;
      • Funding of $12,000/year for a coordinator to assist with the planning and implementation of the programmes (expected to fulfill 78 hours of service per month)
   3. Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs)
      
      • Funding to student groups/committees in local universities who wish to organise for their peers social and relationship skills programmes, as well as social interaction opportunities on campus:
        - Enrichment programmes: 80-20 co-funding up to $600/hr (Capped at 4 hrs); 
        - Social interaction opportunities: 80-20 co-funding up to $50/pax, capped at $5,000/project/year.
2. FamilyMatters@Work: A workplace outreach strategy that aims to step up FLE at the workplace to empower employees at different life stages (e.g. singles, married couples, parents) to build social skills, and to strengthen their marriages, parent-child relationships and family ties. 
   
   Funding Schemes Available: 
   
   
   1. For FLE Programmes to Strengthen Family Ties
      
      • Funding open to companies who wish to organise FLE talks and workshops for their employees;
      • 80-20 co-funding of programmes up to $600/hr (capped at 4hrs).
   2. For Programmes/Activities for Singles
      • Funding open to companies who wish to organise activities/programmes for single employees to develop social and relationship skills through enrichment programmes, and enhance their social interaction opportunities: 
        - Enrichment programmes : 80-20 co-funding up to $600/hr (Capped at 4 hrs);
        - Social interaction opportunities : 80-20 co-funding up to $50/pax, capped at $5,000/organisation/year.
   3. For Administration
      • Applicable only for companies who are able to commit to fulfill 16 hours of FLE programmes/year;
      • Funding of $5,000/year to cover the cost of engaging a service provider to conduct needs assessment, plan and implement programmes.
3. FamilyMatters@Community: A community outreach strategy that brings FLE programmes to the community. Details will be announced at a later date.
4. FamilyMatters@Business: This outreach strategy will focus on encouraging more businesses to be family friendly to its customers. The Ministry will commit $4 million over 3 years to provide funding support to help businesses defray the cost of making their establishments more family friendly to their customers. Details will be announced at a later date.
5. Building Capability for FamilyMatters: This strategy looks to build up the quality and supply of family educators and programmes through content development, training and research. Details will be announced at a later date.