BY: ARIANA GATTI
The Family Action Centre (FAC) on campus, at the University of Newcastle, is helping to celebrate the annual National Families Week with the follow up of new research.
The research, teaching and practice centre is currently looking into the roles fathers across the Hunter play and the importance of their personal influence in the growth and development of their children.
Another line of their research is also contributing to the theme of this week’s celebration, aimed at researching how strengthening familial connections effects the community and the lives of University students.
Associate Director of the Family Action Centre at the University of Newcastle, Deborah Hartman, says National Families Week celebrations are felt throughout the world.
“The Week is also linked to the United Nations Day, so celebrating international families, so it’s been going for a number of years now”.
The week supports the many forms of family’s throughout the country, organised by top research company’s to focus on the importance of familial support.
“It was originally initiated by Families Australia that is one of the peak bodies for family services in Australia”, Hartman says.
The on-campus Centre is planning on releasing an associate degree which can be undertaken at the University as of next year, which Hartman says will be a positive step towards the appreciation of familial supportive frameworks.
“We’re starting a connective degree because there are many people who want to give back to families in our local community and all over the world”, she says.
Image sourced: https://aifs.gov.au/publications/australian-households-and-families