Establishing a FCS Career Cluster

The AAFCS supports the creation and implementation of Family and Consumer Sciences career and technical education programs (also called pathways or clusters) in all States. Family and Consumer Sciences provides students with career-ready skills, life-ready skills, and empowers them to be leaders in whatever occupation they pursue. Every student, no matter their academic ambitions, benefits from attending Family and Consumer Sciences classes. 

In States across the U.S., personal finance is now a required or recommend course for all graduating seniors and FCS professionals have taught personal finance since the discipline was first founded in 1890. All students should attend at least one course in personal finance which covers such topics as interest rates, loans, budgeting, debt consolidation, and retirement planning. 

Family and Consumer Sciences classes have been available to students since the 1890s when AAFCS was first founded and has a long history as a recognized educational vocation (now called a program, pathway, or cluster). The FCS Alliance details this long history in their publication, Family and Consumer Sciences: Overview of a 100-year-old Industry Sector.

This page captures the benefits and structure of the FCS Career Cluster and we hope will serve as a resource to States who implement FCS into their Career and Technical Education Programs.

Click here to learn more about our work advocating for a FCS Career Cluster.

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Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) is a research-based discipline with a rich history of meeting the work-life balance and needs of individuals and families.

FCS leaders have been proven leaders in emerging challenges to the US. 

This is a multifaceted discipline that reflects a skill set of careers that do not fit within the cluster silos.

FCS has been recognized by Carl V. Perkins since its inception as vitally important to career and technical education.

FCS is a dynamic field that is recognized by the Bureau of Labor and Statics and the US Department of Education through the National Center for Educational Statistics Classification of Instruction (CIP) program codes, along with School Courses for the Exchange of Data (SCED) coding, as well as teacher preparation programs.

The split of FCS content over several clusters of the past did not recognize the integrative nature of the discipline, resulted in inequity in funding distribution by local and state support agencies, and led to the loss of secondary and post-secondary programs. This action should be corrected, highlighting the importance of FCS across the United States.

FCS represents many female-dominated careers that need to receive the same recognition and support as traditional male-dominated careers. 

Email AAFCS Advocacy staff today to join the Alliance for FCS and partner with the AAFCS.

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Interdisciplinary Nature

FCS integrates academic and personal effectiveness skills which are practiced and mastered within real world applications.

Growing Demand

Many FCS-related professions are experiencing growth and demand; many do not fit within the siloed career clusters of the past.

Holistic Skill Development

FCS encompasses a wide range of foundational practical skills that contribute to a student’s overall personal development and ability to address work life balance which impacts their working lives. 

Career Diversity

FCS offers diverse career opportunities, all of which require an integrative skill set to meet the basic needs of the individual and families. Recognizing FCS as its own career cluster highlights the breadth of professions students can pursue. 

Employability Skills for Success

FCS equips individuals with a broad set of life skills that are directly transferable to the workplace.

Industry Relevance

FCS aligns with industries that fall between the commonly recognized career clusters, including the home-focused markets and the world of nonprofits.

Leadership Development of Students

A successful employee is best served through a well-rounded education. FCS people-centered and problem-based programs build personal growth and enhance success in the FCS Careers. 

Promotes Well-being

FCS Education promotes health and well-being concepts considered prevention in nature, which are essential skills for a thriving workforce and society that impact the bottom line of all businesses and industries.

Focuses on Family and Community

FCS Emphasizes the importance of strong families and communities, which require skills that cross multiple industries and involve capacity building. This is a critical piece missing from the present career cluster model.

Empowers Students

FCS empowers students to make informed decisions about their personal and family lives, careers, and finances. This work-life balance education, recognized through an FCS career cluster, will indicate the importance of this empowerment.

Supports Diversity and Inclusion

FCS embraces diversity by addressing the needs of a diverse population and promotes cultural awareness, skills essential for a thriving workforce and society. An FCS career cluster will bring recognition of this work. 

Cultivates Future Leaders

As a collative result of the above, FCS fosters a new generation of leaders who understand the complexities of modern society through nurtured capacity-building skills, which are expanded through FCCLA to build goal setting, decision-making, advocacy, and public speaking and communication skills. This will enhance a student’s desire to run for public office, become a community volunteer leader, and become involved in philanthropy efforts.