Trying to answer your Texas Marriage Education Initiative questions - 2/18/08

Mon Feb 18 16:50:30 EST 2008

- TEXAS QUESTIONS 

Instead of answering each individually, I'm going to try to answer as many
of your questions as I can in one email.  I apologize to the thousand who
don't care about this stuff.  Just skip this one.....

In 2007, the Texas legislature voted to set aside $7.5 million a year for
two years for Marriage Education "to provide marriage and pre-marital skills
building classes to those who need it most."  See:
http://lists101.his.com/pipermail/smartmarriages/2007-May/003407.html

This money was in addition to money that organizations in Texas received as
part of TANF grants - the $100 million a year for Marriage Education and the
$50 million a year for Responsible Fatherhood money.  Also this new money is
in addition to other federal marriage education awards that were part of
Head Start, Compassion Capital, Refugee, etc. grants.

Many of you have emailed to ask if I know how those of you with Marriage
Education programs can be part of this new Texas campaign. I have seen no
call for programs and know of no official announcements. I'm just gathering
what I have heard from various folks, so there's more I don't know than I do
know - and what I have "heard" may be less than accurate. But I understand
that you feel "in the dark" and would like some context before you begin
making your own inquiries.  So here's an outline of what I can piece
together:     

- Texas HHS hired Public Strategies (based in Oklahoma, directed by Mary
Myrick) to administer the campaign. Public Strategies also administers the
Oklahoma Marriage Initiative and the National Healthy Marriage Resource
Center among many of their marriage-related projects.

- The state of Texas has been divided into 11 regions. An
agency/organization was selected as an intermediary in each of the regions
to administer the programs/teach the skills courses.  The funding was
divided between these 11 intermediaries.  I don't know how these entities
were selected and I don't have a list of the agencies.

- Texas HHS and Public Strategies have developed a list of marriage
education programs that the 11 intermediaries can use or "might" use.  This
part isn't clear and there have been many rumors swirling around about how
this will work - whether the regions will be limited to an approved list of
programs or if this list will just be a "suggested" list.

- Two programs have been pre-selected: the Arp's 10 Great Dates and the
Parrott's Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts (SYMBIS).

- Seven additional programs have been invited to a Showcase, March 5-6 to
present their programs to the assembled 11 intermediaries. Each of the seven
gets 90 mins to present or "sell" their program.  The seven invited are:
PREP - Scott Stanley
Couple Communication - Sherod and Pyllis Miller
Prepare/Enrich - David Olson
Active Relationships - Kelly Simpson
Mastering the Magic of Love (RE) - Mary Ortwein
Lasting Love - Chris Gersten
The Marriage Garden - Wallace Goddard

I've heard that the list was developed using:
- 1) ACF guidelines (the 8 allowable activities:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/eight.allowable.html
and 
- 2) meet the requirement that the program must be available in both English
and Spanish.  

I notice that 5 of the nine programs are TOOBs (teach out of the box) - 10
Great Dates; SYMBIS; Active Relationships; Lasting Love; The Marriage
Garden.  One, The Marriage Garden is also a FOOB - Free Online Out of the
Box. 

I've heard that the classes won't begin until September.

I've heard that there will be a second Showcase in the "next fiscal year".
I don't know when the next fiscal year begins.  I don't know how you can get
invited.  I suggest you contact HHS in Texas and/or Public Strategies though
no idea who in those large organizations you should contact. Might start
here:    

HHS Texas - the Marriage Education Specialist is Larry McDowell
larry.mcdowell at acf.hhs.gov
214-767-7327

Public Strategies - http:www.publicstrategies.com
info at publicstrategies.com
877-435-8033 - toll free

I appreciate hearing from the officials to correct anything that's
inaccurate or misleading in the above.  Maybe it would help people to have a
list of the intermediaries and their contact information. It would
definitely help to have contact persons at HHS and/or Public Strategies.

Diane 

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