Promising Practices for Marriage and Relationship Education and Child Welfare/Low Income Population Literature Summary Points.

This guide provides practice tips for developing and delivering a marriage and relationship education program and for child welfare and low-income populations. The guidelines address: using inclusive lifestyles and language; ensuring culturally competent programs and trainers; understanding different cultures, including the culture of poverty, and gaining the skills needed to effectively work with people who operate within that culture; ensuring consumer presentation in the development and implementation of curriculum devoted to culturally competent delivery; providing gateways to getting help for other problems that can profoundly affect the quality and stability of relationships; building on the strengths of participants; using key practices that promote engagement of low-income couples; using helpful program methodologies; employing strategies for overcoming barriers to access and for decreasing attrition; and identifying and overcome myths and cultural expectations when serving refugees and immigrants. The use of strategic/structural therapy and creating effective relationships with people in the child welfare system and those in poverty are also addressed. 10 references.