The Centre for Families, Work and Well-Being was founded in 1998 as an educational centre seeking to respond to challenges and changes in family patterns, paid work and broad economic, political and social structures. Its founding mission was to direct research and promote family and individual well-being, responsive workplaces, and sustainable communities. The centre created an operational space to bring together faculty, graduate students and undergraduates to engage in policy analysis, research, knowledge mobilization and best-practices development.
Photo: Image of the Centre for Families, Work and Well-Being website, before the Centre was renamed as the Live Work Well Research Centre, and the new website was launched.
In November 2018, the Centre for Families, Work and Well-Being was renamed the Live Work Well Research Centre, and this new website was created as a way to share knowledge with diverse folks interested in opportunities and challenges for families today. Much of the content from the past website can be found in this History of the Centre section. We invite you to navigate to our current work, too, and get in touch.
The Centre for Families, Work and Well-Being’s research initially began with organizational health, family dynamics, social support and community development. Specifically, it was broken down into the research themes of :
- Public Policies and Family Supports
- Workplace Policies and Practices
- Caregiving Costs, Challenges & Opportunities
- Gender and Organizations
These research themes resulted in numerous projects which were able to create change by: influencing policy and programs, motivating workplaces and communities, fostering interdisciplinary research projects and by provide new ways of learning for students and communities. These projects have brought together diverse communities, while linking researchers to collaborate with community partners. With an emphasis on policy and practices, the Centre looked beyond a work–life balance and addressed the challenges of family diversity with paid and unpaid caregiving, precarious or reliant work and the effects of rural locations on economic and social livelihoods.