The term “family” is used inclusively.
It is defined as a basic social unit that emerges when two or more individuals commit to sharing the responsibilities and functions of fulfilling one another’s biological, social, economic and psychological needs.
The Jordan Institute for Families aims to cultivate safe, stable, and nurturing families in North Carolina and beyond. This creates a place where everyone in the family can be healthy, well and have a strong base from which to grow and flourish.
Safe: Demonstrate mutual respect and tolerance for individual differences, and successfully manage personal conflicts and family challenges through effective problem solving and conflict resolution.
Stable: Experience flexible, yet clear and consistent family roles and boundaries, as well as predictable patterns in family time, traditions, and routines.
Nurturing: Offer one another positive affirmation, affection, support, and encouragement in addressing the collective needs of the family and the individual needs of family members.
Families are dynamic and embedded within complex socio-economic systems. Factors internal and external to a family and its members play a critical role. Poverty, food insecurity, racism, discrimination, family displacement, incarceration, limited educational opportunities, isolation, and lack of health care must be addressed to help families thrive.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childmaltreatment/essentials.html