March 17, 2011. The family is one of the institutions that suffers the most from a values crisis in Colombia. In this country, only 58% of households have mothers and fathers living together. While 32% of children live with their mother, 3% with the father and 7% with neither.

With these numbers in mind, the University de la Sabana decided to establish the Institute of the Family, to help families stay together and work through their marital problems.


Marcela Ariza
Director, Institute of the Family (Colombia)
“The Institute of the Family was created 21 years ago in Colombia at the University de la Sabana. It's an institution that seeks to support the university in its mission to protect and defend the family in Colombia. And in all countries where we can be of help.”

The institute conducts research on families and marriages in Colombia to highlight their strengths and help solve any problems.

For six years now, they have worked with the country's Senate on the study and the monitoring of laws related to the family.

Marcela Ariza
Director, Institute of the Family (Colombia)
“Over the past six years, we have looked at at least 20, 25 bills which were under consideration and were concerning the family, teen pregnancy, the prevention of teenage pregnancy, through education, with projects on sex education so that we give them a basic idea in this area and they can analyze.”

The group also has a marriage counseling service to actively help and bring concrete results to marriages on the brink of separation.

Marcela Ariza
Director, Institute of the Family (Colombia)
“They come from couples who already want to separate because they don't want to see each other anymore, and are done rethinking things on improving their married life.”

It's a job that effectively spans psychology and anthropology, which brings a need for specialized professionals to entrust the development of the family and society, something the University de la Sabana is providing.

Because when it comes to taking care of your family, it's worth consulting experts.