From March 14 to April 4, a family center in Daegu's Suseong-gu District hosted "Cooking Kids, Cooking Mama," a program on parent-children ties. (Center's official website)

By Margareth Theresia

Family centers nationwide next month will host a variety of interactive events.

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family on April 24 said 244 such centers will host about 800 programs in May, dubbed Family Month in the nation.

The programs will seek to boost communication between parents and children and for couples through cultural and sports events such as a field day in Jincheon-gun County, Chungcheongbuk-do Province, quiz show in Samcheok, Gangwon-do Province, concert for raising family communication in Jeju City, Jeju Island, father-son communication project in Busan's Saha-gu District anda "two-become-one" project in Daegu's Dong-gu District.

Other programs suitable for a variety of family types will include the project "Befriending Koreans and Meeting Foreign Friends" in Seoul's Gangdong-gu District, spring field trip for single-parent families in Jinan-gun County, Jeollabuk-do Province, support for dual-income families in Namwon, Jeollabuk-do, and "Bravo Single Life" in Sancheon-gun County, Gyeongsangnam-do Province. 

Families unable to visit such centers can also try interactive programs offered by these facilities including one in Daegu's Jung-gu District.

More information on these programs and their schedules is available on the centers' website (www.familynet.or.kr) and Danuri (www.liveinkorea.kr), which offers general information on support for multicultural families.

Vice Minister of Gender Equality and Family Shin Young-sook said, "To create a warm society for a diversity of families and a pro-family society for everyone, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family as a strong family will always make all policy efforts."

margareth@korea.kr