ABOUT
Welcome to the Healthy Marriage/Responsible Fatherhood Coalition of Lakewood website. We want to tell you about what our program and services are. The Healthy Marriage/ Responsible Fatherhood program is one of 20 plus demonstration sites across the nation partially funded through the Administration for Children and Families, a part of the federal Department of Health and Human Services. The program is funded to study if relationship education and involvement of fathers in their children's lives create stronger, healthier communities for all people, especially the children. Our program began in the winter of 2006 and primarily focused on marriage/relationship education. This summer a Fatherhood Specialist has been added to our staff to help fathers separated from their children to become more involved in their children's' lives.
The Healthy Marriage part of the program is designed to help couples and parents develop the skills to maintain lasting, mutually satisfying relationships. The curriculum that is used is The Strongest Link: The Couple. It is a federally approved best practice curriculum that helps couples learn how to identify personal values and needs for themselves and their partner and what are their overall goals as a couple. Communication skills, cooperative problem solving and maintaining the relationship over the years are also pieces of the six week course. Those who have taken the classes have gained and maintained tools and skills that have strengthened their relationships.
The Fatherhood part of the program helps fathers realized that they play a special role in the development of their children. The curriculum that is used in this part of the program is Quenching the Father's Thirst. Studies show that fathers who are involved with their children have children who exhibit more self confidence and are less anxious than children less attached to their fathers. Involvement by fathers also produce children who are less likely to be in trouble with the law, less likely to be sexually active at an early age and achieve higher education success. The fathers role in their children's' lives continues into adulthood in social skills, psychological well-being and educational achievements.
This is what the Healthy Marriage/Responsible Fatherhood program is tasked to help provide couples, parents and fathers not only in Lakewood but throughout Pierce County. We hope that you will be a part of the services that we provide. With strong couples, strong families and healthy children, we do have strong communities. We also hope that the information provided will provide helpful tips for your relationships. Come join us in this community strengthening process.
Dan Comsia, MDiv, MA
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"We are both in the military and have both been deployed to
the war. The result of the deployments have placed a tremendous stress
in our marriage. The Strongest Link: The Couple and the other couples
in the classes have given our marriage new tools and skills. It has
given our marriage new life and strength."
- Class participants in 2008 |