Family Life—the most popular Catholic family life program in the United States—was written in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the USCCB document Catechetical Formation in Chaste Living: Guidelines for Curriculum Design and Publication. It is approved for child safety education in dioceses across the United States. RCL Benziger’s Family Life is based upon nationally recognized principles for a successful child safety program. It is unique in its approach of integrating child safety content within the broader framework of moral catechesis, virtues education, and Catholic family living. In every lesson of every grade level, children develop the knowledge, self-confidence, and assertiveness skills they need in order to RECOGNIZE, RESPOND, and REPORT dangerous situations. 

The Family Life eAssessments assist the Catholic school in meeting the Mission and Catholic Identity and the Academic Excellence standards from the National Standards and Benchmarks for Effective Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools, published by the NCEA.

RCL Benziger’s Family Life program continues to be adaptable and flexible to supplement any religious education basal program. Resources included in the program help family members improve communication skills, share faith, and grow in their practice of Catholic family living.

The new Second Edition includes:

• A refreshed design - the cover and interior design as well as many of the images have been updated to reflect today’s families in diverse situations.
• New diverse life stories - The life stories open each lesson and reflect the growing concerns of today’s families.
• Alignment with social emotional learning -  Both the student textbooks and teacher guides align with SEL standards and benchmarks.
• Child safety education in the student edition - The student edition now includes the Safer Together feature in every lesson, providing quick, resourceful tips empowering children to be confident and safe.
• Inspiring quotes from the Popes - The Faith on the Fridge feature now includes inspiring statements from Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis, connecting the Family Time take-home pages to the Parent Connection: Opportunities to Love magazine.

This innovative program focuses on partnering with parents. It guides children, parents, teachers, and catechists to integrate five themes into Catholic family living: God’s gifts of family, self, life, love, and community. It presents the teachings of the Church with clarity and offers unparalleled support for Catholic families.

The four Cardinal Virtues—justice, fortitude, temperance, and prudence—and their associated Moral Virtues are taught and reinforced through every unit of each grade level. Each lesson helps students and their families begin to practice the skills required to incorporate the highlighted virtue into everyday family living.

Want to learn more about implementing this program? Contact your sales representative.