On December 9th, 1989, the UN announced that 1994 would be the first year to be the International Year of the Family (IYF). Its purpose is to advocate the importance of family in the international community because of the impact on the family caused by social changes. The UN intends to urge the people to dedicate themselves to form a family with warmth, care, security, togetherness, understanding, and acceptance.

In responding to and advocate for the UN’s International Day of Families, the MOE has established quite a few events annually on May 15th since 2010, such as “Recording Family Activities Competition” (眼耳口手心實踐紀錄徵選活動) in 2010, “Loving Family on May 15th: Comics of Students Doing Household Jobs Competition” (愛家515-小手做家務四格漫畫甄選活動) and “Loving Family on May 15th: Reconstructing Family Values in World Cafe Concept” (愛家515－再造家庭價值世界咖啡館活動) in 2011, and “Loving Family on May 15th: Utilization of Five Senses in Performing five actions—Seeing, Listening to, Speaking to, Doing Something for, and Feeling Each Other Drawing and Writing Competition” (愛家515-愛的小語) in 2012. Through these events, the MOE expects to reduce alienation caused by a lack of interaction among family members, and assist with family function development to reduce family education problems.

In 2013, the MOE creatively established the Encouraging Enterprises and Firms to Implement Family Education Program and Events Plan. This is the first time the MOE encouraged enterprises and firms to combine with city and county family education centers to arrange family education program and events for employees and their families. They made one or two days in each week a family day. During that day, employees could have meals with their families and learn things together. In addition, they can do something to promote the significance of family values, such as turn off televisions, cell phones, and computers for 30 minutes on the family day.

To coordinate with the theme of Advancing Social Integration and Intergenerational Solidarity of the UN’s 2013 International Day of Families, the MOE authorized National Taiwan University to perform a study which was presented at the press conference on May 15th about how new immigrants interact with their Taiwanese families, to understand the situation of reconciling and unifying different ethnic groups in Taiwan. Further relevant information was on the website of the Ministry of Education’s Family Education Network: http://moe.familyedu.moe.gov.tw