The Family Centre today marked the International Day of Families with a call to do more to help people who struggle to cope.

Martha Dismont, executive director at the centre, said that the latest statistics showed that average personal gross income dropped from $58,466 to $53,716 between 2010 and 2016, but inflation rose by 12 per cent over the same period.

She added: “We know that Bermudians, and particularly Bermudian families, will experience the negative effects of these statistics and our aim is to encourage resiliency and the strengthening of family systems to support what individuals and families need to combat these challenges.”

Sandy De Silva, director of services at the Family Centre, said that the service counselled nearly 150 families last year.

She added: “We care about the wellbeing of each and every one of these families, including the many that we have seen in the past and the many more to meet in our continuum of care services.

“It’s an understatement to say that life these days can be a little chaotic, which is what often brings families to Family Centre.”

Dr De Silva said: “Families today face a whole new set of expectations and challenges with our highly evolving technological world and the speed with which information is exchanged.

“Both parents and children often want quick fixes for everyday problems.

“This can make facing problems very frustrating because there are very few quick and speedy fixes, which also makes building resilience very important.

“Resilience is a critical life skill for families and it can be learned.

““Our aim at Family Centre is to help build resilience in families.”

The International Day of Families was started by the United Nations General Assembly in 1983.

Ms Dismont said: “May 15 should be a day of celebrating the strengths that we have within families and within the lives of individual adults as we all know that we are not defined by the weaknesses with which we struggle, but by the strengths with which we build better lives.”