Event Summary
Since 2002, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has provided substantial funding for healthy marriage and relationship programs, research and demonstrations. Prior to 2002, these programs were designed for—and have mostly served—white, middle-class, educated couples who were engaged or already married. The new ACF-funded programs are now reaching out to serve African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, refugees and immigrants from many different cultures. This discussion will focus on what is being learned about how these programs need to be designed, and curricula adapted, to be relevant to ethnically, racially and culturally diverse populations.
Event Information
When
Friday, September 19, 2008
9:00 AM to 10:30 AM
Where
House Ways and Means Subcommittee Hearing Room, B318
Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC
Map
This is the third of three events being held in cooperation with The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, Child Trends, Center for Law and Social Policy and the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Panelists include ACF officials, the founders/directors of the African American Healthy Marriage Initiative and the Hispanic Healthy Marriage Initiative, and five of the nation’s experts in adapting healthy relationship and marriage programs to effectively meet the needs of African American, Hispanic and Native Americans.
Speakers and panelists will take questions from the audience
Participants
Welcome and Introduction
Mary Myrick
Project Director, National Healthy Marriage Resource Center
Patrick Patterson
Program Manager, National Healthy Marriage Resource Center
Moderator
Dana Vickers Shelley
Director of Strategic Communications, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Panel 1: Cultural Competence
Diann Dawson
Director of Regional Operations and Co-Lead of the African-American Healthy Marriage Initiative, Administration for Children and Families
Frank Fuentes
Deputy Director of the Office of Head Start and National Director of the Hispanic Healthy Marriage Initiative, Administration for Children and Families
Panel 2: Challenges and Solutions
Rozario Slack
Independent Consultant and CEO, Black Marriage Publications
Nisa Muhammed
Founder, Wedded Bliss Foundation
Alicia LaHoz
Program Manager, Family Bridges
Pam James
Director, Leading the Next Generation Healthy Relationship Curriculum Development Project, Native Wellness Institute
Gordon James
Board Member, Native Wellness Institute