Certified Family Life Educator

Certified Family Life Educator Program

At the University of Florida

Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences

 

 

CFLE Courses

 

What is Family Life Education?

 Family Life Education is education that improves, strengthens, and enriches individual and family life. Some examples of Family Life Education are parenting classes, premarital preparation, family financial management courses, and marriage enrichment.

 Family Life Education takes place in many settings, wherever families need education and prevention programs to strengthen their family life. These include human services, community based education and the Cooperative Extension Service, faith-based organizations, health care, and more. For more examples see http://www.ncfr.org/cert/become/careers.asp.

 

What is a Certified Family Life Educator?

 The certification in Family Life Education is awarded by the National Council on Family Life Education, the oldest nonprofit professional organization in the U.S. that is dedicated to family research, practice, and education (see http://www.ncfr.org).   The Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) credential recognizes that an individual has a solid knowledge base in 10 key Family Life Education Content areas:

  1. Families and Individuals in Societal Contexts An understanding of families and their relationships to other institutions; such as the educational, governmental, religious, and occupational institutions in society.
  2. Internal Dynamics of Families – An understanding of family strengths and weaknesses and how family members relate to each other.
  3. Human Growth and Development Over the Life Span – An understanding of the developmental changes of individuals in families throughout the life span. Based on knowledge of physical, emotional, cognitive, social, moral, and personality aspects.
  4. Human Sexuality – An understanding of the physiological, psychological, & social aspects of sexual development throughout the life span, so as to achieve healthy sexual adjustment.
  5. Interpersonal Relationships - An understanding of the development and maintenance of interpersonal relationships.
  6. Family Resource Management – An understanding of the decisions individuals and families make about developing and allocating resources including time, money, material assets, energy, friends, neighbors, and space, to meet their goals.
  7. Parent Education and Guidance – An understanding of how parents teach, guide and influence children and adolescents.
  8. Family Law and Public Policy – An understanding of the legal definition of the family and laws which affect the status of the family.
  9. Professional Ethics and Practice – An understanding of the character and quality of human social conduct, and the ability to critically examine ethical questions and issues.
  10. Family Life Education Methodology – An understanding of the general philosophy and broad principles of family life education in conjunction with the ability to plan, implement, and evaluate such educational programs.

In addition, the program requires a 125 hour practicum in family life education.

 

Provisional Certification

Provisional certification is available to those applicants with a Baccalaureate degree and course work in all 10 family life content areas, but without the minimum 3,200 hours of work experience required for the full certification.  The Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences at the University of Florida is an approved CFLE program. The list of FYCS approved courses can be found at: http://secure.ncfr.com/pdf/approved_programs/U_of_FL_Gainesville.pdf or from your advisor.

Students who follow the FYCS CFLE track are eligible to apply for Provisional Approval with NCFR using the Abbreviated Application process when they graduate: http://www.ncfr.org/pdf/cfle_cert/Abbreviated_Application.pdf.  This must be done within two years of graduation.  After two years have elapsed, students will have to take the CFLE examination.

Once the Provisional CFLE has completed at least 3,200 hours of full-time work experience, they can upgrade to Full Certification by documenting their work experience and submitting the required application and fees.

Applicants are allowed to substitute up to two courses for those on the checklist with NCFR approval. Please contact Nancy Gonzalez via email at nancy@ncfr.org, or your advisor, with these questions. Applicants missing more than two courses off of the checklist of NCFR-approved courses will not qualify for the Abbreviated Application process and will instead have to take the CFLE exam. See the NCFR website www.ncfr. This second option is a good one for students who did not take all the courses in the FYCS track.

 

 Fees

Provisional Certification:

  • Non-refundable application fee of $75 (NCFR Members) or $105 (nonmembers) for provisional certification.
  • Students applying in their final term of enrollment can pay in two installments: $50 initially, and then $25 (NCFR members) and $55 (non-members) when you send your final official transcript. 
  • This allows you to put “CFLE pending” on your resume. Final notice of CFLE approval comes after NCFR verifies your graduation and the successful completion of all CFLE required classes.  

Full Certification:

  • Non-refundable review fee of $85 (NCFR members) or $110 (non-members) payable upon submission of work experience.

 

For more information see your advisor or contact:

Nancy Gonzalez, M.Ed., CFLE

Public Policy Project Director and CFLE Collegiate Liaison

National Council on Family Relations

3989 Central Av NE #550, Minneapolis , MN   55421

(763) 781-9331 X17 or fax (763) 781-9348 

 

News & Announcements

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Watch this space for all the latest FYCS academic programs news and announcements. More...