• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.331-344
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• 2004

Korean society recently realized the needs for a system that may effectively prevent and/or resolve different family problems caused by the rapidly changing modem society. In order to carry out this objectives. The Healthy Family Act has been legislated and is to be enforced from the 1st of January, 2005. Legislating the law is a means to establish an administrative and institutional structure that may bring in the total welfare system centered around family, so as to promote healthy families in our society. This is also a land marking event that has shifted the paradigm from the welfare system focusing on individual protection to the total welfare system based upon family units. Hence, this study is to examine the specific concepts of 'healthy family,' which is the goal of The Healthy Family Act, and thus to propose the objectives of the law by analysing the institutional system of it. The Healthy Family Act, which consists of major 37 items of 5 chapters with supplementary provisions, aims at the five ideals as follows. The first is to promote the healthy family which is the basis of individual welfare and well-to-do society. The second is to emphasize the importance of family and to provide total service system for family unit. The third is to establish the family value which supports gender-equality and democracy. The fourth is to reinforce the governmental support for independence and cooperation of family. And the fifth is to promote the in-advance and precautionary support for family problems. The law also includes administrative methods for Strong Families Center, different projects and programs for promoting healthy families, roles of Healthy Family Specialist and means to cultivating them, and the policies to specifically carry out the ideas of the law. It is now important to recognize that the development of nation is based on the healthy families and to put much effort in carrying out the ideas and goals of The Healthy Family Act.