Strengthening Family Relationships
Strengthening family relationships provides
a better quality of life for people by enhancing
health, safety, support, and a nurturing environment
in which families can grow. CSREES supports family
strengthening through national partnerships and multistate teams. Multistate team members
include CSREES national program leaders and
extension and research faculty at the land-grant
universities. CSREES also supports building
strong families and quality of life enhancement
through the following multistate and state
efforts:
State Programs
Alabama
Smart
Steps for Adults and Children in Stepfamilies - From
the University of Auburn Extension, this
research-based, multimedia, interactive
program provides a comprehensive educational
base for remarriage preparation and/or
relationship enrichment. The 12-hour
program is designed to involve both couples
and children ages 6-16 in separate sessions
held concurrently. The 350+ page leader
manual includes power point slides, participant
handouts, and video clips. Training can
be provided; however, the extensive background
materials and the easy-to-follow leader
guidelines make this an "out-of-the-box" educational
program.
Florida
Before
You Tie the Knot: A Pre-Marital Education
Curriculum - Is a
four-part series from Florida Cooperative
Extension in response to the Florida
Legislature’s Marriage Preparation
and Preservation Act. It includes topics
on communication, conflict resolution,
money matters, and marriage and parenting.
Stepping
Stones for Stepfamilies Series - Available
through the University of Florida Cooperative
Extension, this home study series helps
people deal with the realities of living
in a stepfamily.
Idaho
The
Married and Loving It! Program -
This course from the University of Idaho
Cooperative Extension is designed to
strengthen marriage relationships by
presenting research findings about successful
and happy couples to the general public.
Kansas
CoupleTalk:
Enhancing Your Relationship -
Is from Kansas State University Extension
in a home study format, and either in
hardcopy or through a distance education
course.
Kentucky
A
World of Possibilities - This
series from the University of Kentucky
Cooperative Extension Service teaches
core skills that apply to nearly every
area of life. The program is flexible,
easy to use, and enjoyable. It enhances
creativity and productivity, and fosters
healthy relationships while opening up
a new world of possibilities for individuals
and groups.
Maryland
Maryland
Cooperative Extension Cares,
a Web site hosted by Maryland Cooperative
Extension (MCE), features information
on child care and afterschool activities
that help strengthen families. The Web
site includes program offerings from
MCE's 4H Youth Development and Family
and Consumer Sciences program areas.
They enhance the quality of child care
and afterschool programming through professional
training, on-site educational programs,
and resources for families.
Missouri
Building
Strong Families: Challenges and Choices -
From the University of Missouri Extension
this resource provides the curriculum
to offer workshops on 13 different topics:
Family Strengths, Communicating, Managing
Stress, Child Self-Care, Food and Fitness,
Working, Go For It!, Positive Discipline,
Money Matters, Balancing Responsibilities,
Consumer Beware, Healthy House, and Kids
and Self-Esteem. The program helps families
build strengths, face challenges, and
make good choices.
Families
and Divorce - A program
developed by the University of Missouri
Extension for teachers, childcare providers,
and others working with children. The
program provides in-service training
for professionals on children's responses
to divorce and remarriage at different
developmental stages and what professionals
can do to support children and their
families through the processes of divorce
and stepfamily formation.
Focus
on Kids - A program
from University of Missouri Extension
developed for parents living apart. The
program emphasizes strategies for helping
children adjust to divorce transitions
and for co-parenting in ways that support
healthy child development.
Step by Step: Creating Strong Stepfamilies -
University of Missouri Extension program
for couples with children from previous relationships.
This three-session program focuses on the
following topics: What Every Stepfamily Needs
to Know, Stepparent-Stepchild Relationships,
and Financial and Legal Issues. Communication
skills are emphasized throughout the program.
For additional information, contact leonk@missouri.edu
Nebraska
Family
Strengths - Research
at the University of Nebraska focused
on families who believe they are doing
well. Family members from all 50 states
and 27 countries have been asked, "What
makes your family strong?" The six
characteristics listed on this Web site
are remarkably similar from culture to
culture. This site provides resources
to strengthen families.
Ohio
Families Tapestries: Strengthening Family Bonds - From The
Ohio State University Extension, this annual packet of Family Life Month fact
sheets offers information on the characteristics of successful families.
Marriage
Matters - A newsletter
from The Ohio State University Extension
is a couples and marital enrichment newsletter
that provides research-based information,
suggestions, and activities to help couples
at various stages in their relationship
-- dating, engagement, newlywed, mid
and later life, remarriage -- enhance
the quality of their relationship.
Resources
for Managing Family Issues -
This Home and Away resource packet from
The Ohio State University Extension was
designed to provide information to families
whose job or profession takes them away
from home for extended periods of time.
The material also stimulates awareness,
maintains respect for families who experience
this lifestyle, and recognizes the challenges
associated with this lifestyle.
About My Families and Me - The
Ohio State University Extension offers a
curriculum outline and afterschool program
for children in grades 3-6 who live in stepfamilies.
For more information, contact recker22@ag.ohio-state.edu
Pennsylvania
Connecting Families - Curriculum
from Penn State Cooperative Extension provides
couples and individuals with an in-depth
understanding of the key factors that influence
a relationship’s success. The goals
of the curriculum are to provide an understanding
of the interdependent nature of relationships
and enhance the skills that can support successful
relationship interaction. The program consists
of four workshops most typically delivered
in 2 hour sessions. The sessions are interactive,
involving discussion and hands-on activities.
The curriculum includes evaluation strategies
and a research background section, and includes
a CD with power point slides for each session.
Contact nmf3@psu.edu for
additional information about the program.
Connecting to My Future Family -
Curriculum from Penn State Cooperative Extension
is designed to provide adolescents with an
in-depth understanding of the process that
learning to love involves. The program assists
teens in exploring the challenges today’s
society presents in the process of learning
to establish a lasting relationship. The
goals of the curriculum are to prepare adolescents
with the skills and information that support
successful relationship interaction. The
six sessions that most typically are taught
in 45 minutes are interactive, involving
discussion, role-playing and hands-on activities.
Included in the curriculum are evaluation
strategies. For more information, contact nmf3@psu.edu
Utah
Saying “I
Do”: Consider the Possibilities -
Utah State University Extension developed
two research-based curricula on marriage
education. The course is self-paced and
can be done alone or with a partner.
It can be completed from the comfort
of home and it is specifically targeted
towards marriage preparation.
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