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Strong Families Dallas
offers South Dallas residents free, skills-based relationship education that provides the necessary tools to manage the stressors and challenges that are inherent in any relationship. These FREE 8-12 hour fun, interactive relationship skills workshops to teens, single parents, step-families, married couples, engaged couples, expectant parents and singles in the increase the value of healthy marriages, families and relationships among participants by improving communication skills, conflict resolution skills, increasing financial literacy skills, teaching anger management and the signs of domestic violence. Find out more about building a strong family by visiting the SFD website.
Program Overview:
Strong Families Dallas (SFD) is the 5 year, $5 million project awarded to ANTHEM by the Federal Office of Family Assistance and funded through the Administration for Children and Families. The purpose of SFD is to offer free 8-12 hour fun, interactive relationship skill workshops to the people of Dallas, with focus on the more at-risk communities such as those with lower income, less education, higher unemployment and higher crime. Objectives of these workshops are to increase the value of healthy marriage and families among participants, improve communication and conflict resolution skills, increase financial literacy skills, and expose participants to the signs of domestic violence and where to go for help. These programs, as all ANTHEM programs, are not designed to advocate marriage at all costs, nor does the ANTHEM philosophy tell anyone they must be married. Instead, the focus is on healthy relationship and marriage skills for those that choose marriage for themselves, through single parent homes, step-families and traditional family units, as well as, teens and engaged couples.
History:
In 2006, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services began funding a project known as the Healthy Marriage Initiative. The aim of the initiative is to help couples gain access to marriage education services, such as SFD, that help foster healthy marriages and strong families. Since its inception in 2006, SFD has reached thousands of families by providing relationship education to over 4,500 individuals. To help in this accomplishment, ANTHEM has teamed up with various sites in Dallas including recreation centers, churches, prisons, transitional housing facilities, Head Start sites, teen drug court, high schools, and clinics. Past and current partners include: Head Start, Parkland Healthcare System, Eastfield Community College, Bill J. Priest Institute for Economic Development, Operation Oasis, Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program, Winfree High School, Mayou Angelou High School (for Pregnant Girls), Community Credit Counseling Service, Shiloh Terrace Baptist Church, and Dallas County Sheriff’s Department Inmate Programs.
In addition to marriage education workshops, SFD has also hosted numerous community awareness events. March 2006 marked the date of the first annual Black Marriage Day celebration. In conjunction with national Black Marriage Day, ANTHEM celebrates strong marriages in the local African American community. Additionally, nominated couples are honored through a traveling Hall of Fame exhibition displayed at the African American Museum of Dallas and Love Field Airport. ANTHEM also held the first annual Hispanic Marriage Day event on October 11, 2008, in partnership with AVANCE - Dallas. Through this one-day event, ANTHEM honored and served over 60 married couples and their children by hosting free marriage enrichment workshops at various locations across the city. ANTHEM has also held “Rock the Block” parties for communities, as well as, Father’s Day events.
Geographical Funding Areas:
The following Dallas County Zip Codes: 75203, 75208, 75210, 75211, 75212, 75215, 75216, 75227, 75228
Certain sub-populations outside these geographical boundaries may be served if they fall into one of the following categories: incarcerated, recent immigrants, grandparents raising grandkids, fragile families, and those individuals living in residential treatment centers.
Populations Served:
Through the Strong Families Dallas program, ANTHEM’s will serve 8,360 married or engaged couples, 5,910 non-married expectant parents, and 3,445 high school students over a 5-year period.
Contact:
Sarah Swart: Project Coordinator, Strong Families Dallas
sarah.swart@anthemnorthtexas.org |
