Pursuant to the Department of Social Welfare and Development's thrust of supporting and protecting the Filipino Family, all regions are hereby directed to implement the Family Life Development program in their respective municipalities, with said program to be closely monitored by the Bureau of Family and Community Welfare through Family Welfare Specialists and Provincial Social Welfare Officers. The implementing guidelines for the program are found hereunder for your guidance and compliance.

I
Introduction

Family Life Development is a program which builds the capabilities of families in improving their quality of life. It transfers appropriate knowledge, skills, and technology to meet family needs, and accesses families to needed resources. It organizes families to become effective problem-solving units and contributors to community development. It provides Family Life Education and family-based activities to strengthen the family as a source of emotional support, cultural inheritance and value inculcation.

II
Implementing Guidelines

1. Area Selection - Areas to be prioritized for the implementation of Family Life Development will be those which are:

a. Low-income or depressed barangays

b. Areas with poor social services and facilities

2. Community Profile - The community profile may already be available. If such is the case, and the data are adequate, reliable, and updated (done within the year or last year), these will be used for the next step.

If the barangay has no profile yet, participative community surveys will be conducted to provide program implementors with information on the socio-economic and health status of the families in the community. The instrument to be used here will be the DSWD Family Survey form. This will determine the type of resources that will be required for the implementation of the program.

3. Analysis of Community Profile - The results of the community survey shall be presented to the community for the purpose of:

a. Arriving at a consensus of what problems, priorities and program thrusts are to be undertaken at the community level.

b. Determining other details that may influence the choice of target beneficiaries for each specific project site.

c. Planning an integrated delivery of assistance and capability building.

4. Core Group Formation and Orientation - Organizing the Family Life Development core group will be done by the Supervising Social Worker. Key persons in the community will be contacted and acquainted with the concept and goals of the program. This will involve reaching out to the different groups and associations existing in the barangay. A core group of volunteers will be formed from the community to participate in the implementation of Family Life Development.

The organizational meeting to be coordinated by the Supervising Social Worker will include the following:

a. The concept of Family Life Development

b. The need for Family Life Development/Objectives of FLD

c. Role of the Core Group

5. Roles and Responsibilities of the Core Group

a. Participate in evolving the community profile

b. Participate in the identification of families to be under Family Life Development

c. Participate in identifying the appropriate services for the families

d. Participate in monitoring and evaluating the activities of the Family Life Development Program

e. Participate in the activities of the families as appropriate f. Participate in accomplishing family assessment tools.

6. Training of Core Group on Family Assessment Tools - The core group will undergo a brief session on the use of family assessment tools. These tools are necessary for DSWD staff and the core group to gain intimate knowledge of the families, structure, relationships, important events, stresses and resources.

The Family Life Core Group will likewise be introduced to the method of Family Case Management System for them to be acquainted with the manner of implementation of services to the family.

(Please refer to Appendix for the Family Assessment Tools and the Family Case Management System in the Manual of FLD)*

7. Identification of Target Families - Families who will be beneficiaries of the program will be identified by the core group according to the following criteria:

a. Bona fide resident of the community.

b. Family income below the poverty line

c. Inadequate use of resources and insufficient knowledge and skills in family management.

d. Multiple social welfare and health problems.

8. Social Preparation of Families - On the part of the families who will be target beneficiaries of the program, social preparation will be required to ensure that they have the right attitudes, behavior, etc., that will ensure their effective collaboration especially in the capability building aspect of the program.

9. Target Family Orientation - An initial meeting of the selected families will be held to:

a. Explain objectives of the program.

b. Surface expectations.

c. Explain points the families wish to be clarified about FLD

d. Orient them on the accomplishment of family assessment tools they will be asked to fill out (Inventories of Family Stresses, and Family Internal and External Resources).

e. Signing of a contract of Agreement stating that the family understands the program and will participate in its activities.

10. Assessment of Families - The standard instrument to be used in assessing the families are the following:

a. Family Genogram (Family Tree)

b. Inventory of Family Stresses

c. Inventory of Family Resources

Families will be interviewed by core group members in order to make the genogram of their assigned families. The two inventories will be handed and explained to the families during the Family Orientation meeting. These are to be accomplished and signed by 2 responsible members of the family (preferably husband and wife) to ensure consensus within the family, to be handed back within a week's time. The filling out of the forms themselves is a strategy to facilitate communication within the family about their problems and reflection on their resources, as well as a means to develop self-determination.

In the event that there is no literate member in the family, the assigned core group member will include the inventories in his interview.

11. Collation and Presentation of Data - Data of the selected families gathered through the Family Survey form, and the assessment tools will be collated and presented to the families in a family assembly. Common priority problems and resources will be fed back to them. Possible solutions will be elicited from the families.

The goal is to prepare a plan for each family that should cover the following:

a. Interventions should distinguish between those that can be addressed through capability building and those which require external support. The latter may involve accessing the family to a community health resource or to DSWD assistance requiring budgetary support.

b. Capability building activities may require training to ensure transfer of knowledge, technology, etc. which may be organized for the group.

c. Capability building also requires follow up so that knowledge and skills acquired is translated into practice.

d. Explore the families' own resources and how they can fully make use of them to address their needs.

At this assembly, families will be asked to make a Family Case Plan following the guidelines of Family Case Management with the following format:

Priority Problems

Family Resources

Goals

What can the family do?

Capability building requirements

External Support requirements

12. Family Case Plan - Following the aforementioned format, the families will formulate a case plan of their own, outlining the strategies, time frame, and responsible persons needed to implement this case plan. This case plan will be later presented in a meeting where it will be evaluated by DSWD social workers and the core group. Access to available resources and services will be discussed here.

Those problems which may be too private to discuss in a group meeting may be threshed out either in their homes or in a convenient site for the FLD workers.

13. Implementation of Family Case Plan - Based on the recommendations of the Family Case Plan, implementation of the strategies outlined in the case plan shall follow.

14. Family Enrichment Day - This day will be held every quarter of the year as the Family Life Development's response to the family need for celebration, sharing, and affirmation. All target families and core group members will be enjoined to plan together the process and content of the day. (Please refer to Module on Family Enrichment Day in the Manual of FLD)

15. Family Associations - The program should encourage efforts of families to organize themselves into support groups, peer groups or associations. This will enable them to play an active role in community and national development. From those families who have attained a measure of self-reliance, volunteers can be recruited to impart learned knowledge and skills to other members of the community.

16. Family Life Values Sessions - The families will be invited to participate in Family Life Values which will include topics such as Effective Communication, Conflict Resolution, Meaning of Love and Marriage (Please refer to Modules on Family Life Education in the Manual of FLD).

Adopted: 13 November 1990

(Sgd.) MITA PARDO DE TAVERA, M. D.
Secretary