Family Centered Employment

The Family-Centered Employment initiative by NAWB focuses on integrating workforce development with comprehensive support for families. It emphasizes a holistic approach to employment, addressing not only job seekers’ needs but also the well-being of their entire family. This approach seeks to enhance career success and economic mobility by building stronger, more resilient family units.

Promoting Sustainable Workforce Outcomes

NAWB’s Family-Centered Employment initiative recognizes that sustainable workforce outcomes require attention to the broader context of a worker’s life.

This initiative provides services that go beyond traditional employment programs by addressing challenges such as childcare, housing, healthcare, and education for the worker’s family. The goal is to reduce barriers to employment, helping families achieve stability and thrive economically. NAWB partners with local workforce boards, employers, and community organizations to deliver these services in a way that is tailored to each family’s unique needs. This integrated model fosters long-term job retention and career growth while improving the quality of life for all family members.

How NAWB Helps

How NAWB Helps

NAWB works through local workforce boards to connect families with resources that address their holistic needs, from employment training to social services.

By collaborating with community partners, they ensure that families have access to comprehensive support systems that can assist with transportation, childcare, education, and health services. NAWB’s role is to provide guidance, best practices, and support to workforce boards, helping them implement the family-centered approach effectively. This results in more families achieving sustained employment, higher earnings, and a better quality of life.

NAWB supports local workforce boards by offering access to the Family-Centered Employment (FCE) Community of Practice, a platform for collaboration, learning, and sharing best practices. Through this community, workforce professionals can connect with peers, discuss challenges, and explore solutions to implement family-centered approaches effectively. NAWB also develops and curates resources, such as toolkits, guides, and case studies, to assist in the adoption of these models. Additionally, NAWB hosts webinars that focus on specific aspects of Family-Centered Employment, providing insights from experts and practitioners. These resources help workforce boards and their partners deliver holistic services that meet the needs of families, resulting in sustained employment and improved outcomes.

Visit the FCE Toolkit and download resources on how to implement family-centered approaches in workforce programs

Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

 

The Family-Centered Employment approach integrates workforce development with family support services, addressing the broader needs of job seekers and their families.

Both job seekers and their families benefit from this initiative, particularly those facing multiple barriers to employment.

Workforce boards can adopt the Family-Centered Employment model by partnering with community organizations to provide comprehensive family services alongside traditional employment programs.

latest Family-Centered Employment

Nadine’s Journey to Stability and Purpose

  • By NAWB
  • |
  • July 15, 2025
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  • Success Story
"I was working two hours a week at Panera, fresh out of federal prison and drowning…no one would hire me…I didn’t know how we’d survive, let alone escape…You didn’t treat me like the lost cause I felt like. You treated me like a human. You got us into Colorado Works, connected us to resources, food, clothes, training, [and] workshops; you even believed I could be a nursing assistant before I did. Now I’m here, a year into this job, finally stable."

Remembering Lenita Jacobs-Simmons: a True Workforce Development Champion

  • By NAWB
  • |
  • July 10, 2025
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  • News

NAWB was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Lenita Jacob-Simmons at the end of June. Lenita was a force in the workforce development world. She was a dedicated leader at the US Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration whose work touched countless programs, professionals, and lives.   More than her impressive career, […]

NAWB Releases New Report: Forging What’s Next: Workforce Leaders on Innovation and Impact

  • By NAWB
  • |
  • June 20, 2025
  • |
  • Announcement

Earlier this year, NAWB hosted a series of listening sessions with hundreds of workforce leaders to understand how the system is adapting to rapid technological, economic, and labor market changes. The insights gathered highlight emerging strategies and innovations aimed at increasing impact, efficiency, and personalization across the workforce ecosystem. We’re proud to share Forging What’s Next: […]

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