Where are Family Life Educators Employed?

You can also find information from NCFR on broader career options within Family Science. Family Life Education is one of the primary practice professions of Family Science.
 


Family Life Educators work in a variety of settings, and bring comprehensive family training to myriad employment sectors and job classifications. Often, Family Life Educators and Certified Family Life Educators (CFLEs) work in these general venues:

  • Practice — teaching, education, research/scholarship, program or curricula development,
  • Administration — leadership or management, organizing, coordinating, and
  • Promotion — public policy, lobbying, advocating for system change and awareness.

Employers know that by hiring a credentialed CFLE, they're bringing in someone with proven knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Career Opportunities for Family Life Educators and CFLEs

There likely are numerous instances of Family Life Education occurring in your community on any given day. Family Life Educators work in health care settings, community education, faith communities, junior and senior high schools, colleges and universities, social service agencies, corporate settings, government agencies, corrections, retirement communities, and the military, and more.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN FAMILY SCIENCE
EMPLOYMENT SETTINGS

   
Business, Consumer & Family Resources Services Employee Assistance programs, Corporate Day Cares, Consumer Protection Agencies, Family Financial Counseling & Planning Agencies, Food Assistance Programs, Research positions.
 
Community-Based Social Services Youth Development Programs, Adoption Agencies, Foster Care Programs, Teen Pregnancy Services, Welfare Assistance, Vocational Rehabilitation & Job Training, Adult Day Care, Gerontology and Long-Term Care Programs.
 
Early Childhood Education Day Care Centers, Head Start Programs, Montessori Schools, Child Development Organizations.
 
Education Public School Teaching in Family & Consumer Sciences with state licensure, University Teaching, Family Science Research, Family Life Education, Sexuality Education, Parenting Education, Marriage & Family Enrichment Programs, Curriculum Development, community education.
 
Faith-Based Organizations Ministry, Family Life Education, Parenting Education, Youth Programs.
 
Family Intervention Individual & Family Therapy Support Services, Crisis & Hotline Services, Divorce Mediation, Abuse Protection Services, Drug & Alcohol Prevention Programs, Residential Treatment Programs.
 
Government & Public Policy Family Policy Analysis, Child Welfare Advocacy, Cooperative Extension Specialist, Military Family Support Services, Departments of Child & Family Services, Parent Coordination.
 
Health Care & Family Wellness Public Health Programs & Services, Hospital Based Family Support, Nutrition Education, Prenatal and Maternity Services, Holistic Health Centers, Long-Term Care Settings, Hospice Programs.
 
International Education & Development International Family Policy, Peace Corps and NGO Leadership, Global Family Planning Programs, International Human Rights Advocacy, Immigration & Migrant Families Services.
 
Research Grant Proposal Writing, Academic and Government Research in Family Science, Population Studies & Demographic Research, Community-Based Research for Non-Profit Family Agencies, Program Evaluation & Assessment.
 
Writing & Communication Curriculum & Resource Development in Family Life Education, Media and Technology Settings, Newspaper & Magazine Writing.

National Council on Family Relations. (2015). Careers in Family Science. Minneapolis, MN.

NCFR Resources About Family Science Careers

The Careers in Family Science booklet provides information on Family Science as a discipline. A brief discussion of the Domains of Family Practice Model helps to facilitate understanding of family science and the various ways that it is translated into work with families. The booklet also includes information helpful when considering undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as well as career options for each degree level. Profiles of NCFR members and CFLEs working in the field provide real-life examples of family career options.

Our Career Opportunities in Family Science infographic also provides a visual, easily digestible look at Family Science and Family Life Education careers.