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Office of Family Assistance
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| Name of Grantee: | John Brown University |
| Federal Project Officer: | Doresa Payton (202) 401-4639 |
| Target Population: | 13,055 couples in six-counties (i.e., Benton, Washington, Madison, Carroll, Crawford, and Sebastian) in northwest Arkansas |
| Federal Award Amount: | $544,782/year |
| Program Name: | Northwest Arkansas Healthy Marriage Initiative |
| Project Period: | 09/30/2006 - 09/29/2011 |
| Priority Area: | 8 (one or two allowable activities) |
Allowable Activities: Pre-marital education and marriage skills training for engaged couples and for couples or persons interested in marriage (#4) and marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples (#5).
Organization Description: John Brown University’s, Center for Relationship Enrichment, was established in 1998. The Center is based on the campus of John Brown University. Its mission is to serve the region and adapt proven strategies and models from other communities to increase premarital and marriage enrichment participation among members of the community.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: The Center for Relationship Enrichment will use the funds to provide premarital training to 7,180 individuals; train 275 individuals to serve as volunteer premarital trainers; serve 10,650 couples in marriage enrichment activities; and train 275 marriage enrichment educators.
| Name of Grantee: | Samaritan Counseling Center |
| Federal Project Officer: | Doresa Payton (202) 401-4639 |
| Target Population: | Married and engaged couples |
| Federal Award Amount: | $549,961/year |
| Program Name: | New Mexico Couples Forming Community Healthy Marriage Initiative Demonstration Project |
| Project Period: | 09/30/2006 - 09/29/2011 |
| Priority Area: | 8 (one or two allowable activities) |
Allowable Activities: Pre-marital education and marriage skills training for engaged couples and for couples or persons interested in marriage (#4) and marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples (#5).
Organization Description: The Samaritan Counseling Center (SCC) provides leadership to a diverse group of healthy marriage service providers in the Couples Forming Community Healthy Marriage Initiative. The SCC and coalition consist of faith-based organizations, groups and Centers established to address New Mexico’s critical need for healthy marriage education, training and support services to targeted low-income populations in New Mexico.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: The Samaritan Counseling Center will use the grant funds to implement activities designed to provide the following to couples in New Mexico: 1) introductory exposure to relationship skill and marriage-sustaining values and support; 2) Intensive relationship skills training; 3) mentor relationship with trained and seasoned couples who have integrated effective skills and stabilizing values into their marriages; and 4) professional counseling interventions for couples who may be facing particular difficulties or who require individualized assistance in applying skills and coping with stressors.
| Name of Grantee: | First Nations Community Healthsource |
| Federal Project Officer: | Doresa Payton (202) 401-4639 |
| Target Population: | American Indian couples and youth |
| Federal Award Amount: | $300,000/year |
| Program Name: | All My Relations |
| Project Period: | 09/30/06 - 09/29/2011 |
| Priority Area: | 8 (one or two allowable activities) |
Allowable Activities: Pre-martial education and marriage skills training for engaged couples and for couples or persons interested in marriage (#4) and marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples (#5).
Organization Description: First Nations Community Healthsource (FNCH) was established in 1972. FNCH is a non-profit urban Indian community based health and human services organization. The Agency’s mission is to provide a culturally competent and comprehensive health service delivery system integrating the traditional values to enhance the physical, spiritual, emotional and mental well being of American Indian families and other underserved populations residing in Albuquerque and the surrounding areas.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: The funds will be used to strengthen and evaluate marriages/relationships through marriage/relationship education, enrichment training, and traditional Native interventions; and to build and strengthen partnerships to increase the community’s capacity to assist couples, youth, and families.
| Name of Grantee: | The Regents of New Mexico State University |
| Federal Project Officer: | Doresa Payton (202) 401-4639 |
| Target Population: | Single parents and married and unmarried couples |
| Federal Award Amount: | $494,996/year |
| Program Name: | New Mexico Healthy Marriage Initiative |
| Project Period: | 09/30/2006 - 09/29/2011 |
| Priority Area: | 8 (one or two allowable activities) |
Priority Area: 8 (one or two allowable activities)
Allowable Activities: Pre-marital education and marriage skills training for engaged couples and for couples or persons interested in marriage (#4) and marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples (#5).
Organization Description: New Mexico State University (NMSU) is the state’s land-grant university, serving the educational needs of New Mexico’s diverse population through comprehensive programs involving education, research, extension education and public service. The Departments of Family and Consumer Sciences and Extension Home Economics in the College of Agriculture and Home Economics at NMSU are uniquely situated to provide marriage and family strengthening services to single parents, unmarried couples with children, and married couples with children. The University has a longstanding history of providing services to families in New Mexico.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: The University will use the program grant funds to compensate personnel in order to establish, offer and implement 18 couple and wellness class series to 270 adults and their children in Dona Ana County and the metro Albuquerque area. Each class series will consist of 12 two-hour sessions for the entire family.
| Name of Grantee: | Best Choice Educational Services, Inc. |
| Federal Project Officer: | Nathaniel Johnson (202) 401-9275 |
| Target Population: | Stepfamilies, second marriage, unwed parents, high school students, engaged couples, low-income non-married couples, and expectant/new parents. |
| Federal Award Amount: | $495,000/year |
| Program Name: | New Mexico Marriage First Project |
| Project Period: | 09/30/06-09/29/11 |
| Priority Area: | 3 (five or more allowable activities) |
Allowable Activities: Public advertising campaign (#1); education in high schools on the value of marriage (#2); marriage education, marriage skills, and relationship skills programs for non-married pregnant women and non-married expectant fathers (#3); pre-marital education and marriage skills training for engaged couples and for couples interested in marriage (#4); marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples (#5); divorce reduction programs that teach relationship skills (#6); and marriage mentoring programs which use married couples as role models and mentors in at-risk communities (#7).
Organization Description: Best Choice Educational Services is a non-profit organization with a proven track record of providing critical social services to low-income people. In existence since 1992, they have served over 50,000 students through abstinence and relationship skills education. They facilitate educational outreach programs in schools, community agencies and faith-based organizations.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: Best Choice Educational Services will implement and evaluate a marriage enrichment program that will target low-income, unmarried couples expecting a child, high school students, unwed parents, stepfamilies, and couples who are engaged and/or married for the second time. They will use a pilot program as a cultural model to reach out to an estimated 2000 high schools and 3000 couples over a five year period. They will also work specifically with three American Indian tribes to train Native mentors to work with couples to learn healthy marriage strategies within these cultures.
| Name of Grantee: | Youth Development, Inc. |
| Federal Project Officer: | Nathaniel Johnson (202) 401-9275 |
| Target Population: | Low-income, non-married, expectant/new parents |
| Federal Award Amount: | $900,000/year |
| Program Name: | Youth Development, Inc. |
| Project Period: | 09/01/2006 to 08/30/2007 |
| Priority Area: | 6 (one or two allowable activities) |
Allowable Activity: Marriage education, marriage skills, and relationship skills programs that may include parenting skills, financial management, conflict resolution, and job and career advancement for non-married pregnant women and non-married expectant fathers (#3).
Organization Description: Youth Development, Inc. is a non-profit organization located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They will operate its Healthy Marriage Education and Supportive Services program within a three-county service area of Bernalillo, Rio Arriba, and Taos Counties, New Mexico.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: Youth Development, Inc plans to provide Marriage education, marriage skills, and relationship skills programs that may include parenting skills, financial management, conflict resolution, and job and career advancement for non-married pregnant women and non-married expectant fathers. They will use the “Loving Couples Loving Children” curriculum program as a model to essentially reach out to 150 couples per year by teaching within a classroom setting every two weeks for eleven months. In addition, another component of the program will be the ongoing case management and partnership between family services specialists and their families.
| Name of Grantee: | Oklahoma Department of Human Services . |
| Federal Project Officer: | Doresa Payton (202) 401-4639 |
| Target Population: | High-risk, low income families in the State of Oklahoma |
| Federal Award Amount: | $549,791/year |
| Program Name: | Marriage retreats to provide marriage education services to married parents of high-risk and special needs children |
| Project Period: | 9/30/2006 - 9/29/2011 |
| Priority Area: | 8 (one or two allowable activities) |
Allowable Activity: Marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples (#5).
Organization Description: The Oklahoma State Department of Human Services provides a wide-range of social services to children, adults and families.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: The grant funds will be used to continually provide services to 1200 high-risk married couples, parents with children with developmental disabilities, kinship care, foster Parents, Parents involved in the TANF child-only program, low-income couples receiving public assistance for self and children, and caregivers providing services for high-risk families. Public Strategies, Incorporated through the Oklahoma State Department of Human Services, will continue to manage the healthy marriage service delivery system.
| Name of Grantee: | Public Strategies, Inc. |
| Federal Project Officer: | Michelle Clune (202) 401-5467 |
| Target Population: | National |
| Federal Award Amount: | $2,000,000 |
| Program Name: | The Healthy Marriage Resource Center |
| Project Period: | 09/30/06-09/29/11 |
| Type: | Cooperative Agreement |
Allowable Activities: Public advertising campaign (#1); education in high schools on the value of marriage (#2); marriage education, marriage skills, and relationship skills programs for non-married pregnant women and non-married expectant fathers (#3); pre-marital education and marriage skills training for engaged couples and for couples interested in marriage (#4); marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples (#5); divorce reduction programs that teach relationship skills (#6); marriage mentoring programs which use married couples as role models and mentors in at-risk communities (#7); and programs to reduce the disincentives to marriage in means-tested aid programs (#8).
Organization Description: Public Strategies is a leader in the marriage policy arena with experience managing both national and state marriage education programs and government contracts. Public Strategies has managed the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative, a multi-million dollar, comprehensive, multi-sector program designed to strengthen marriage and support family formation.
The HMRC will be a collaborative effort between 5 entities:
1) Public Strategies: will provide experts in delivering statewide marriage education to diverse populations
2) The Lewin Group: will provide T & TA to ACF’s healthy marriage grantees
3) Caliber/ICFI: will create, operate and manage a state-of-the-art clearinghouses and interactive web sites
4) National Resource Center on Domestic Violence: will assist ACF healthy marriage grantees in developing site-specific domestic violence protocols
5) Oklahoma State University: will conduct healthy marriage research and evaluation
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: To be the “first stop shop” for marriage education information, an experienced provider of training and technical assistance, and a major catalyst in advancing the marriage education field.
| Name of Grantee: | Public Strategies, Inc. |
| Federal Project Officer: | Nathaniel Johnson (202) 401-9275 |
| Target Population: | Low-income, non-married, expectant/new parents |
| Federal Award Amount: | $1,000,000/year |
| Program Name: | Oklahoma Marriage Initiative |
| Project Period: | 10/01/2006 to 9/30/2011 |
| Priority Area: | 6 (one or two allowable activities) |
Allowable Activity: Marriage education, marriage skills, and relationship skills programs that may include parenting skills, financial management, conflict resolution, and job and career advancement for non-married pregnant women and non-married expectant fathers (#3).
Organization Description: Public Strategies, Inc. is a non-project agency located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Since 1999, Public Strategies, Inc has managed the state-wide initiative called the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative which addresses the need to promote and preserve marriage among socially disadvantaged individuals.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: Public Strategies plans to provide Marriage education, marriage skills, and relationship skills programs that may include parenting skills, financial management, conflict resolution, and job and career advancement for non-married pregnant women and non-married expectant fathers They will use a pilot program called “Family Expectations” as a model to essentially reach out to over 200 couples per year by teaching thirty (30) hours of marriage/relationship education. In addition, services will be supplemented by family support services which include referrals to additional supports such as education, mental health, child care, and job and career advancement services.
| Name of Grantee: | Healthy Family Initiative |
| Federal Project Officer: | Nathaniel Johnson (202) 401-9275 |
| Target Population: | Low-income, non-married, expectant/new parents |
| Federal Award Amount: | $537,000 /year |
| Program Name: | Healthy Family Initiative |
| Project Period: | 10/1/2006 to 9/30/2007 |
| Priority Area: | 7 (one or two allowable activities) |
Allowable Activity: Marriage education, marriage skills, and relationship skills programs that may include parenting skills, financial management, conflict resolution, and job and career advancement for non-married pregnant women and non-married expectant fathers (#3).
Organization Description: Healthy Family Initiative is a non-profit organization with a network within Harris County, Texas. Their proposal builds upon the extensive experience of providing healthy marriage programming.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: Healthy Family Initiative plans to provide Marriage education, marriage skills, and relationship skills programs that may include parenting skills, financial management, conflict resolution, and job and career advancement for non-married pregnant women and non-married expectant fathers. They will use a pilot program called “Loving Couples Loving Children” as a model to essentially reach out to 100 couples per year by capitalizing on the “magic moment” of birth, when the majority of unmarried parents’ marriage hopes are high and romantic ties are strong, to connect couples to a comprehensive package of healthy relationship/healthy marriage education and services and broader family support services.
| Name of Grantee: | Texas State University- San Marcos |
| Federal Project Officer: | Heather Sonabend (202) 260-0873 |
| Target Population: | Adolescent parents and their families (low-income; predominantly Hispanic) enrolled in Pregnancy, Education, and Parenting (PEP) programs in Austin/San Marcos area |
| Federal Award Amount: | $464,937/year |
| Program Name: | Healthy Marriage Discretionary Grants |
| Project Period: | 09/30/2006 – 9/29/2011 |
| Priority Area: | 8 (one or two allowable activities) |
Allowable Activities: Education in high schools on the value of marriage, relationship skills and budgeting (#2) and marriage education, marriage skills and relationship skills program that may include parenting skills, financial management, conflict resolution, and job and career advancement for non-married pregnant women and non-married expectant fathers (#3)
Organization Description: Texas State University-San Marcos, established in 1899, is a comprehensive, culturally diverse university offering graduate and undergraduate instruction in a largely rural and small community area. It houses the Center for Children and Families (CCF), which was established by the School of Social Work in 1998 and moved to university status in 2002. CCF’s vision is to serve as a nationally recognized interdisciplinary resource and educational center that enhances services to children and families while providing educational opportunities to university students.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: The goal of the Building Relationships between Adolescent Parents project is to assist adolescent parents in building and maintaining healthy relationships by helping them develop their personal and relationship skills. They plan to train Texas State interns in a modified version of the Connections: Relationships and Marriage curriculum and to serve 60-120 adolescent parents and 20-40 of their family members the first year and 120-240 adolescent parents and 40-80 family members in subsequent years. Sessions of 10-20 participants will be held concurrently in the Austin/San Marcos area each fall and spring semester, one to two times a week, over a 12 week period during the lunch hour.
| Name of Grantee: | Young Women’s Christian Association of San Antonio, Texas |
| Federal Project Officer: | Heather Sonabend (202) 260-0873 |
| Target Population: | 145 students in 5 high schools serving Hispanic, lower-income, and at-risk students in the Westside community of San Antonio |
| Federal Award Amount: | $464,820 |
| Program Name: | Healthy Marriage Discretionary Grants |
| Project Period: | 09/30/2006 – 9/29/2011 |
| Priority Area: | 8 (one or two allowable activities) |
Allowable Activities: Education in high schools on the value of marriage, relationship skills and budgeting (#2) and pre-marital education and marriage skills training for engaged couples and for couples or persons interested in marriage (#4)
Organization Description: The YWCA is the nation’s oldest and largest autonomous women’s membership organization. The YWCA of San Antonio was formed in 1910 and now provides an array of programs to assist women and their families in developing personal empowerment and sufficiency. YWCA of San Antonio will partner with three grassroots organizations to carry out their Familia Unida Initiative. The partners are the Edgewood Family Network, the American Indians of Texas-Spanish Colonial Mission, and the P.E.A.C.E. Initiative.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: YWCA plans to provide education in high schools on the value of marriage, relationship skills and budgeting, as well as to provide pre-marital education and marriage skills training for engaged couples or couples and individuals interested in marriage. 200 high school students will be served at 5 high schools using the Active Relationships for Young Adults (ARYA) curriculum during weekly sessions with groups of 6-15 students. 150 individuals will be served with the 12 hour Active Relationships Center (ARC) curriculum offered in Spanish and English to provide pre-marital education and marriage skills training.
| Name of Grantee: | Model Cities-El Paso |
| Federal Project Officer: | Heather Sonabend (202) 260-0873 |
| Target Population: | Families in El Paso County, Texas |
| Federal Award Amount: | $484,701/year |
| Program Name: | Healthy Marriage Discretionary Grants |
| Project Period: | 09/30/2006 – 9/29/2011 |
| Priority Area: | 8 (one or two allowable activities) |
Allowable Activities: Pre-marital education and marriage skills training for engaged couples and for couples or persons interested in marriage (#4) and marriage enhancement and marriage skill training programs for married couples (#5).
Organization Description: Model Cities-El Paso (MEP) is the lead agency in the El Paso Healthy Marriage Coalition (HMC). The coalition is comprised of non-profit, local, state and federal organizations that are committed to reducing El Paso’s increasing rate of divorce and single-parent households by promoting healthy marriage. The tenets of the coalition are in the organizational statement that, “Family is the fundamental building block of all human civilizations. Marriage is the glue that holds it together. The health of our culture, its citizens and their children is intimately linked to the health and well-being of marriage.” MEP was first established in 2001 to support the intact family. MEP has operated programs throughout West Texas that have focused on media, community infrastructure, and training.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: Model Cities-El Paso plans to provide marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples as well as, marriage skills training for couples or individuals interested in marriage. Using the Six Building Blocks of a Healthy Marriage (6BB) 12 hour curriculum, Model Cities expects to serve 1000 couples the first year, implement and operate an efficient and effective healthy marriage education training and support program for needy families in West Texas; implement and operate an efficient and effective program to promote responsible parenting, and implement and operate an efficient and effective program to reduce and eliminate aggressive behaviors and to promote non-violent married family life as the expected lifestyle.
| Name of Grantee: | Longview Wellness Center, Inc. |
| Federal Project Officer: | Michelle Clune (202) 401-5467 |
| Target Population: | Young single adults and couples of all demographics in northeast Texas – a total of over 480,000 residents |
| Federal Award Amount: | $1,500,000/year |
| Program Name: | V.O.W. Marriage Program |
| Project Period: | 09/30/06-09/29/11 |
| Priority Area: | 1 (five or more allowable activities) |
Allowable Activities: Public advertising campaign (#1); Education in high schools on the value of marriage (#2); Marriage education, marriage skills and relationship skills programs for non-married pregnant women and non-married expectant fathers (#3); Pre-marital education and marriage skills training for engaged couples and for couples interested in marriage (#4); divorce reduction programs that teach relationship skills (#6); and marriage mentoring programs which use married couples as role models and mentors in at-risk communities (#7).
Organization Description: Longview Wellness Center is a multi-practice community-based nonprofit health and human services provider. It will serve as the fiscal agent of this grant as well as provide services. LWC has a partnership with 11 organizations to carry out this grant.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: The program grant funds will be used to educate 5,400 high school and college students in the Soul Mate curriculum annually; engage 800 couples annually in the Prepare/Enrich marriage program; hold enrichment weekends for 96 married couples annually; assist 288 couples annually who have high conflict marriages; and engage 50 mentor couples annually who will work with high-risk couples.
| Name of Grantee: | Texas Health and Human Services Commission |
| Federal Project Officer: | Michelle Clune (202) 401-5467 |
| Target Population: | TANF and Head Start (low-income) participants in Fort Worth,Fort Bend, Laredo and Corpus Christi, TX. These participants can be married or unwed. |
| Federal Award Amount: | $900,000 |
| Program Name: | Texas Healthy Marriages Development Program |
| Project Period: | 09/30/06-09/29/11 |
| Priority Area: | 2 (five or more allowable activities) |
Allowable Activities: Public advertising campaign (#1); marriage education, marriage skills, and relationship skills programs for non-married pregnant women and non-married expectant fathers (#3); pre-marital education and marriage skills training for engaged couples and for couples interested in marriage (#4); marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples (#5); and programs to reduce the disincentives to marriage in means-tested aid programs (#8).
Organization Description: The Healthy Marriages Development Program is a collaborative effort led by the TX Health and Human Services Commission’s Office of Family Services / Family and Community Services in partnership with Tarrant County Child Care Associates (Ft. Worth), The Texas Migrant Council (Laredo), William Smith, Sr., Tri-County Child Development Council (Ft. Bend), and Nueces County Community Action Agency (Corpus Christi). Consultations and contracts will be established with the Texas Research Advisory Group, the Texas Council on Family Violence, and a public advertising / marketing organization. The TX HHSC is a state agency who administers programs such as TANF, Medicaid, and Food Stamps. TX HHSC has provided healthy marriage education for 2 years via partnerships with community-based organizations.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: Weekly workshops will be provided to 600 low-income unmarried couples considering marriage, pregnant TANF clients and her partner, and married and unmarried Head Start and TANF couples annually. In addition, a targeted public advertising campaign will be used to recruit program workshop participants and to educate the target population about the value of healthy marriage and its effects on child well-being. Curricula used will be: Within Our Reach and Within My Reach, two programs based on PREP but tailored to the needs and education level of low-income couples and individuals.
| Name of Grantee: | Alliance for North Texas Healthy Effective Marriages (ANTHEM) |
| Federal Project Officer: | Michelle Clune (202) 401-5467 |
| Target Population: | Dallas residents, in particular, the low-income, African-American and Hispanic populations |
| Federal Award Amount: | $903,425/year |
| Program Name: | Strong Families Dallas |
| Project Period: | 09/30/06-09/29/11 |
| Priority Area: | 2 (five or more allowable activities) |
Allowable Activities: Public advertising campaign (#1); education in high schools on the value of marriage (#2); marriage education, marriage skills, and relationship skills programs for non-married pregnant women and non-married expectant fathers (#3); pre-marital education and marriage skills training for engaged couples and for couples interested in marriage (#4); and marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples (#5).
Organization Description: ANTHEM is a Dallas-based coalition of over 80 multi-cultural community-based and faith-based partners, dedicated to nurturing healthy marriages and families. It was founded in 2004 through the leadership of the Families Are Relationships (FAR) Foundation to specifically work with African-American, Hispanic, and Asian populations.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: The program grant funds will be used to deliver marriage education services to 8,360 married and engaged couples and persons interested in marriage, 5,910 non-married expectant parents and 3,445 high school students over the project period. ANTHEM will also launch a public awareness campaign to reach all Dallas-area residents.
| Name of Grantee: | Active Relationships Center |
| Federal Project Officer: | Nathaniel Johnson (202) 401-9275 |
| Target Population: | Hispanic community in Cameron County, TX |
| Federal Award Amount: | $524,705/year |
| Program Name: | Cameron County Hispanic Active Relationships Program (HARP) |
| Project Period: | 09/30/06-09/29/11 |
| Priority Area: | 3 (five or more allowable activities) |
Allowable Activities: Public advertising campaign (#1); education in high schools on the value of marriage (#2); pre-marital education and marriage skills training for engaged couples and for couples interested in marriage (#4); marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples (#5); marriage mentoring programs which use married couples as role models and mentors in at-risk communities (#7).
Organization Description: Active Relationships Center (ARC) was founded in 1997 as a proactive counseling and education center to deliver the Active Relationships seminars, train seminar leaders and publish materials. Partner for evaluation: Baylor University’s School of Social Work; Partner for advertising: Breeden/McCumber; Other partners: United Way and Battered Women’s Shelter, University of Texas at Brownsville, the Brownsville Independent School District, and local businesses.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: HARP will serve 1472 couples over five years. Active Relationships seminars will comprise the core marriage education content; other activities will include peer support groups, mentoring and weekend marriage retreats. The project will be launched by a multi-media public awareness campaign which, in addition to branding, marketing and public relations components will present annual events including a play, golf tournament and a Matrimonio Magnifico event to showcase healthy marriages and identify potential mentor couples.
| Name of Grantee: | Friendship West Baptist Church |
| Federal Project Officer: | Doresa Payton (202) 401-4639 |
| Target Population: | African American families in Dallas, Texas |
| Federal Award Amount: | $546,025/year |
| Program Name: | AWARI – Dallas African American Healthy Marriages Initiative |
| Project Period: | 09/30/06-09/29/11 |
| Priority Area: | 3 (five or more allowable activities) |
Allowable Activities: Public advertising campaign (#1); education in high schools on the value of marriage (#2); marriage education, marriage skills, and relationship skills programs for non-married pregnant women and non-married expectant fathers (#3); pre-marital education and marriage skills training for engaged couples and for couples interested in marriage (#4); marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples (#5); divorce reduction programs that teach relationship skills (#6); and marriage mentoring programs which use married couples as role models and mentors in at-risk communities (#7),
Organization Description: Friendship West Baptist Church has been operating in Dallas, Texas for over 30 years, has a congregation of over 11,700 members, and is a prominent organization within the African American community. The church is a member of AWARI, which is the coalition of African American organizations operating in Dallas to form the “Dallas African American Healthy Marriages Initiative.”
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: The program funds will be used to establish an outreach and support program; a media campaign; a marriage education and training program for married and engaged couples for over 1,000 couples per year; a relationship skills program for 2,500 teens per year; and a marriage enhancement and preservation program.
| Name of Grantee: | Child, Inc. |
| Federal Project Officer: | Karal Busch (202) 205-5924 |
| Target Population: | Married, low-income couples in Austin, Texas |
| Federal Award Amount: | $511,133/year |
| Program Name: | Healthy Marriage |
| Project Period: | 9/30/2006-9/29/2011 |
| Priority Area: | 4 (one allowable activity) |
Allowable Activity: Marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples (#5).
Organization Description: Child, Inc. became a non-profit profit agency in 1792 and currently has served over 2000 Head Start and Early Head Start families through its Head Start grant for Travis County, Texas. The organization has experience in implementing programs that assist families with children by promoting parental involvement with children and providing parenting training.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: Through the Healthy Marriage program, Child, Inc. plans to provide marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples. Some of the goals of the program are provide family support services and monthly enrichment programs; some of the program’s objectives are to improve communication skills, improve marital satisfaction and improve child-parent relationships. In addition to providing marriage curriculum Child, Inc. plans to offer booster sessions and family support services. The program is aiming to serve 144 couples who have children under age 15 in its initial year.
| Name of Grantee: | El Paso Center for Children, Inc. |
| Federal Project Officer: | Karal Busch (202) 205-5924 |
| Target Population: | Hispanic couples living in El Paso, Texas |
| Federal Award Amount: | $490,460/year |
| Program Name: | El Paso Healthy Marriage Initiative |
| Project Period: | 9/30/2006-9/29/2011 |
| Priority Area: | 4 (one allowable activity) |
Allowable Activity: Marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples (#5).
Organization Description: The El Paso Center for Children was created in 1982 by a merger of two El Paso orphanages – St. Margaret’s Home for Children and Southwestern Children’s Home. The main mission of the organization is to provide community support to children and families. In 2005 the El Paso Center for Children served nearly 4000 people in job-placement and child-placement services.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: The El Paso Healthy Marriage Initiative plans to provide marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs to married couples. The El Paso Center for Children will use classes and workshops to provide couples with marriage skills and will also have monthly follow-up sessions for up to one year. Additionally, social events such as ranch retreat and a mountain retreat will take place. In the first year, the program aims to serve 125 couples with children and will continue to serve that number of couples in the remaining years. Some of the objectives are to pilot the PREP (Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program) Spanish curriculum, prepare and provide service plans for each participating couple, and support the formation of peer support groups.
| Name of Grantee: | AVANCE – Corpus Christi Chapter |
| Federal Project Officer: | Karal Busch (202) 205-5924 |
| Target Population: | Married couples throughout Nueces County, Texas |
| Federal Award Amount: | $250,000/year |
| Program Name: | Strengthening Marriages Program |
| Project Period: | 9/30/2006-9/29/2011 |
| Priority Area: | 4 (one allowable activity) |
Allowable Activity: Marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples (#5).
Organization Description: AVANCE, Inc. has a 33-year history of serving Hispanic families in the capacity of parent-child education programs with its mission being to help low-income couples learn skills to strengthen their marriages for the benefit of the couple and their children. The Corpus Christi Chapter was established in 1996 and is one of 10 AVANCE, Inc. chapters operating in Texas.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: The Strengthening Marriages Program of Corpus Christi plans to provide marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs to married couples who meet Federal poverty guidelines. The Corpus Christi Chapter of AVANCE, Inc. has worked with the Austin and Houston, Texas chapters to better gauge what activities would be successful prior to the grant period. Some of the objectives of the Strengthening Marriages Program are to help couples increase communication skills to reduce conflict, understand the value of interpersonal relationships and assist fathers in becoming more active in childrearing. Some of the activities to meet the objectives are weekly interactive sessions to teach healthy marriage skills, community support services and classes on financial literacy.
| Name of Grantee: | AVANCE – Austin Chapter |
| Federal Project Officer: | Karal Busch (202) 205-5924 |
| Target Population: | Low-income, married couples in Bastrop County, Texas |
| Federal Award Amount: | $261,825/year |
| Program Name: | AVANCE – Austin Healthy Marriages for Travis and Bastrop Counties |
| Project Period: | 9/30/2006-9/29/2011 |
| Priority Area: | 5 (one allowable activity) |
Allowable Activity: Marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples (#5).
Organization Description: AVANCE, Inc. has a 33-year history of serving Hispanic families in the capacity of parent-child education programs with its mission being to help low-income couples learn skills to strengthen their marriages. The Austin Chapter, established in 1997, is one of 10 AVANCE, Inc. chapters operating in Texas.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: The AVANCE – Austin Healthy Marriages for Travis and Bastrop Counties program will provide marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples. The program plans to serve 80 low-income married couples during its first year. Some of the objectives of the AVANCE – Austin Healthy Marriages for Travis and Bastrop Counties program are to guide couples in forming a positive support base, provide couples with information to reduce conflicts and provide couples with community resources and support services. Some of the desired outcomes are for couples to increase their knowledge of essential relationship skills, increase marital satisfaction and spend more time together. AVANCE – Austin has 22 activities planned for the project period which include weekly interactive sessions discussing healthy marriages and couple’s nights.
| Name of Grantee: | AVANCE – Houston Chapter |
| Federal Project Officer: | Karal Busch (202) 205-5924 |
| Target Population: | 150 low-income married couples in Houston, Texas |
| Federal Award Amount: | $236,851/year |
| Program Name: | Healthy Marriage Demonstration Project |
| Project Period: | 9/30/2006-9/29/2011 |
| Priority Area: | 5 (one allowable activity) |
Allowable Activity: Marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples (#5).
Organization Description: AVANCE, Inc. has a 33-year history of serving Hispanic families in the capacity of parent-child education programs with its mission being to help low-income couples learn skills to strengthen their marriages for the benefit of the couple and their children. The Houston was established in 1988 and is one of 10 AVANCE, Inc. chapters operating in Texas.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: The AVANCE – Houston Chapter plans to provide marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs to low-income married couples. Some of the objectives of the Healthy Marriage Demonstration Project are to promote a positive relationship in married couples, help couples improve communication skills and assist participants in clarifying their value systems. Activities to meet the objectives are four-month marriage enhancement modules and recreational family outings. Some of the outcomes the program expects are improved marital satisfaction, longer lasting marriages and increased problem-solving skills.
| Name of Grantee: | Family Service, Inc. |
| Federal Project Officer: | Karal Busch (202) 205-5924 |
| Target Population: | Couples in the Lawrence, Massachusetts area |
| Federal Award Amount: | $227,000/year |
| Program Name: | Family Enrichment Program |
| Project Period: | 9/30/2006-9/29/2011 |
| Priority Area: | 5 (one allowable activity) |
Allowable Activity: Marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples (#5).
Organization Description: Family Service, Inc. was established in 1854 and serves clients in the capacity of mental health services, substance abuse treatment, employee assistance and suicide prevention. The organization serves on average 2500 people with the additional program areas. Family Service, Inc. is currently receiving two additional Federal grants and has maintained those grants for at least two years.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: The Family Enrichment Program plans to provide marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs to low-income married couples. The program intends to serve 144 couples in the first year of service. The principal objective is to increase the number of low-income couples in the Lawrence, Massachusetts area. Other objectives, as well as activities, include the Love’s Cradle marriage education curriculum and providing six monthly booster sessions to couples who complete the curriculum.
| Name of Grantee: | NAME (National Association of Marriage Enhancement) |
| Federal Project Officer: | Karal Busch (202) 205-5924 |
| Target Population: | Couples in the Phoenix, Arizona area |
| Federal Award Amount: | $250,000/year |
| Program Name: | Hispanic Healthy Marriage Demonstration Project |
| Project Period: | 9/30/2006-9/29/2011 |
| Priority Area: | 5 (one allowable activity) |
Allowable Activity: Marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples (#5).
Organization Description: NAME, founded by Dr. Leo Godzich, has over 12 years of experience in providing marriage enhancement services to couples. There are currently 116 NAME Centers in the United States and 44 in other countries. NAME also hosts an annual International Marriage Conference and is partnering with the Phoenix Dream Center. To date over 22,000 couples have attended NAME conferences and seminars.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: The Hispanic Healthy Marriage Demonstration Project will provide marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs to married couples. The objectives of the program are to engage low-income married couples in a recurring program of marriage skills development and marriage enhancement opportunities as well as document the effectiveness of the outreach to low-income couples within the Hispanic community through the use of entry and exit surveys. The Together Forever seminars, which are the main activity of the project, will provide marriage enhancement and marriage skills to participants.
| Name of Grantee: | Family Services of Greater Houston |
| Federal Project Officer: | Karal Busch (202) 205-5924 |
| Target Population: | Low-income population of the Houston, TX metropolitan area |
| Federal Award Amount: | $477,539/year |
| Program Name: | Greater Houston Healthy Marriage Coalition |
| Project Period: | 09/30/06-09/29/11 |
| Priority Area: | 3 (five or more allowable activities) |
Allowable Activities: Public advertising campaign (#1); education in high schools on the value of marriage (#2); pre-marital education and marriage skills training for engaged couples and for couples interested in marriage (#4); marriage enhancement and marriage skills training programs for married couples (#5); and marriage mentoring programs which use married couples as role models and mentors in at-risk communities (#7).
Organization Description: Family Services was established in Houston in 1904 in response to community concern over the welfare of disadvantaged families. The organization’s initial services focused on providing cash assistance to needy families and also providing community organization and services during the epidemics of the 1920’s. By the 1930’s, Family Services began focusing on marriage and family counseling, launching the first family therapy program in Houston. In the late 1950’s, the organization expanded its services to include family life education, offering parent and family relationship skills training.
Use(s) of ACF Program Grant Funds: Family Services is requesting funds to add five new activities to the Greater Houston Healthy Marriage Coalition’s array of services to increase its effectiveness in promoting healthy relationships among Houston’s low income population. Those activities include (1) developing a targeted media campaign to promote the Coalition’s goals and activities reaching over 50,000 people per year; (2) teaching relationship and communication skills to teens at various Houston-area high school locations reaching 620 teens per year; (3) coordinating the delivery of a pre-marital inventory (RELATE) among Houston’s leading non-profit counseling organizations to reach 400 couples per year; (4) conducting an annual multicultural marriage enrichment weekend program for 120 couples; and (5) using mentors to enhance the effectiveness of the core marriage education program to reach 20 couples annually. The overall objective of the project is to strengthen existing marriages and to prepare unmarried couples for successful healthy marriages.
