The Family Life Ambassador (FLA) Programme, through the promotion of Family Life Education (FLE) programmes, advocates the forging of partnerships with corporate and community members to build strong and stable families.

The FLA scheme aims to inculcate positive family values within members of the community and equip them with the necessary skills that would empower them to manage domestic issues primarily through preventive intervention.

The long-term objectives of the FLA programme are:

- To make Family Life Education more accessible and convenient to everyone.
- The development of strong and stable families in which everyone has a part to play– individuals, employers, religious/community leaders, etc. so that each feels responsible to improve society.

We believe that everyone has views about the family and how it can be strengthened. We want to hear your views, as they will be important in the continual development of the FLA programme. Your involvement as a Family Life Ambassador, united with the other FLAs, will send a clear message to all Singaporeans that “We’re promoting the power of families now to prevent problems and produce strong families later”.

What does the FLA do?

The main responsibilities of FLAs are to heighten the awareness of Family Life Education and make it more accessible to the community.

Organize Family Life Education programmes
Disseminate Family Life Education messages
Contact point for Family Life issues
Provide sponsorships to facilities Family Life Education programmes

Organize Family Life Education programmes

You can engage Family Life Educators to talk about family life issues to staff during/outside working hours (e.g. before/during/after lunch, tea breaks, etc.). Topics can include marriage preparation/enrichment, parenting and family life. These talks would be a convenient way for staff to receive Family Life Education within the comfort of their workplace.

Your organization can also screen audio-visual materials (e.g. family life videotapes, VCDs, etc.) to staff.

FLE programmes can also come in the form of activities and games, such as an annual Family Day outings or Dinner and Dance, which you organize for the staff and their families. These activities should include FLE components in the form of fun activities, like beach games, treasure hunts and telematches, to make the learning experience more vivid and interesting. A talk could also be given at the beginning or end of such outings to outline the importance of family life. Click here to find out what are the list of topics available for the talk.

Encouragement and sponsorship can also be given to staff to attend externally organized FLE programmes, which are usually publicized in the newspapers on the 3rd Sunday of every even month. You can also get this information via e-mail.

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Disseminate Family Life Education messages

You can help set up a family resource centre within your workplace premises where interested staff can go to find out more about Family Life Education.

You can make materials like brochures, pamphlets and periodicals regarding family life issues, which can be obtained free of charge, available at these centers. Note that decentralized resource centers, such as a shelf at each lift lobby, can be a quicker and more convenient way to disseminate the materials.

You can also make available self-help books and learn-at-home packets, which could be borrowed or purchased, to be used at home. These materials can contain content normally found in FLE programmes. Users will then be able to learn family skills and values at their own pace and in the luxury of their homes. Materials can also include videotapes or VCDs on family life related issues. These can either be viewed at the centre (if facilities permit) or borrowed to be viewed at home.

The Internet is another avenue you can use to convey family life messages. You can use e-mail to disseminate articles and regular newsletters on FLE. You can even set up a web page on family life issues within your company website (if there is one) and invite staff to share their family life experiences over the Internet.

You can also spread family life messages through the use of visual aids such as posters. Alternatively, you can print these messages on office stationery like calendars, pens and note pads.

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Contact point for Family Life issues

You can help form staff support groups to share their difficulties and experiences in handling family issues. There are courses available on how to lead support groups concerning family life issues that would be useful for leaders of such staff support groups. This ensures that there is a contact point for any staff member who requires help but may not have the time or know how to get relevant information.

Supervisors at all levels of your company can also have individual ‘chat sessions’ on a regular basis (e.g. every month) with those under their charge. These sessions, besides showing general concern, can help supervisors learn more about the current family conditions of their employees.

Any staff member who is found to be distressed by family or other issues should then be encouraged to seek professional help from one of the various counseling or Family Service Centres.  Early intervention would be beneficial for the staff’s emotional, mental and familial well-being. It can also prevent their work performance from being affected.

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Provide sponsorships to facilities Family Life Education programmes

Speakers, who are experts on Family Life Education, can be sponsored by your company to hold family life seminars and talks. Click here for more information on Family Life Education topics.

Your company can also sponsor exhibitions on family life issues. They may be held in popular venues where there is a natural draw for big crowds. Your company need not organize the exhibition itself, but engage a professional organization such as a Family Service Centre to oversee the preparations (with your company simply funding the event). Such events can greatly enhance the corporate image of your company.

Sponsorships are crucial for the development of FLE programmes, which make use of broadcast (e.g. television and radio programmes and commercials) and print media (e.g. advertisements and advertorials). The provision of grants will also be useful for the development of plays, TV drama serials, songs and commercials that promote family life issues.

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Critical Success Factor

The implementation of the FLA programme does not guarantee the instant reaping of benefits. To raise the level of its success, the employer should:

1. Choose relevant Family Life topics that will be most able to meet the employees’ needs.

Depending on the demographic nature of the work force in the company, employees with different familial lifestyles will be interested in different topics. You can check the possible Family Life Education topics here.

2. Ensure that all employees are well informed of the Family Life Education (FLE) programmes available to them.

3. Give all employees an equal chance of participating in FLE programmes, regardless of their family responsibilities.

4. Ensure that supervisors do not inhibit employees from participating in FLE programmes that are made available to them.

5. Evaluate the FLE programmes to assess their effectiveness.

Obtain feedback from participants of the programme and carry out follow-up sessions with employees to find out if the programmes helped elicit positive changes in their families. The effective programmes can then be carried out more frequently.

6. Lead by example and participate in the FLE programmes

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