This brief defines forgiveness and then explains the difficulties facilitators may encounter when teaching forgiveness in marriage and relationship (MRE) education classes. Strategies that can be shared with couples are listed and include: reflect on your mutual behaviors during the day and focus on actions that are life-giving and kind, spend little time reflecting on mistakes, learn to live without perfection, expect some pain in life, understand that there is little value in holding grudges, slow down the pace of making judgments, focus on your abilities, achievements, and goals as a…
Designed for marriage practitioners, this brief explains the influence of maturity on a person's ability to truly commit to a relationship for life and understand that commitment implies giving up all other partner choices. The impact of maturity on the ability to forgive, to take personal responsibility, and to communicate effectively is also discussed, and challenges facilitators of marriage and relationship education classes face in teaching maturity are addressed. Facilitators are urged to identify those who may need to work on maturity more than others, set goals with these individuals…
Designed for marriage practitioners, this brief explains the importance of trust in relationships and offers strategies for teaching the value of trust to couples. The keys to trust are explained and include investing time in each other, reliability, understanding, sacrifice, and thankfulness.
Brief
In the late 1990s, a handful of states began to fund healthy marriage and relationship (HMR) programs and initiatives intended as a promising new strategy for strengthening families and improving child well-being. The states were soon followed by the federal government, which launched a healthy marriage initiative in 2002. The following questions initially were raised about this new policy development:1. What are the reasons why government should get involved in what is surely a private matter or a matter for individuals, couples and faith-based institutions? Why should marriage and couple…
This brief offers recommendations from a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) State administrator who included marriage-related initiatives in the State's TANF budget. Recommendations for implementing marriage initiatives include build collective ownership, be sure people know how to utilize or apply a good idea or services, grow champions, and document success. The following three-step approach for developing a marriage initiative is described: understand it, package it, and grow it.
This brief offers recommendations from an Oklahoma State policymaker on managing a statewide Healthy Marriage Initiative. Information is provided on the development of the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative (OMI), the goals of the program, and the strategies used. Recommendations include: deliver evidence-based or research informed services; be prepared to change based on emerging research; include potential constructive skeptics from the beginning; temper your zeal for high productivity by acknowledging the realities of today's complex families; make a realistic assessment about the resources,…
This brief draws on the personal experience of the Project Director for Family Services of Greater Houston in Texas, to offer tips for lobbying a State's legislature for the implementation of marriage preparation and relationship strengthening services. Recommendations include: know your legislators, know the lobbyists, do your homework before you pick up the phone, be specific about the funding you will go after, make an appointment, help write the bill, and review similar bills created in different States and incorporate language from those bills.
Asking your partner to attend a relationship education workshop might suggest that you think something is wrong or that you're not happy in your relationship, even if that is not the case. Marriage and relationship education is a fantastic support for couples who are looking to improve an already good relationship or couples who may be struggling with an on-going issue. This tip sheet can help you start your discussion about marriage education with your partner. (Author abstract modified)
In September 2006, the Administration for Children and Families' Office of Family Assistance (OFA) awarded grants to 226 organizations designed to promote healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood. This report summarizes the service models, activities, and preliminary outcomes of a select group of Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood grantees that were identified as part of OFA's "Promising Practices" initiative to document programs that show evidence of positive participant outcomes. The first section of the report provides profiles of the following Healthy Marriage grantees: the…
This position paper from the Fathers and Families Coalition of America (FFCA) recommends the proposed Fatherhood, Marriage, and Family Innovation (FMFI) funding be managed by a new office in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services called the Office of Fatherhood-Family Strengthening Assistance that would report directly to the Assistant Secretary. Additional recommendations are made, including: that the funding not go to State agencies but rather be available to community, non-profit and faith-based entities in open competitive grants; the services provided should be limited to those…
