PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACTProject Name: The Alabama Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education ProjectOrganization and Grantee Name: Auburn University FRAMEWorksAuthorizing Official's Name: Mr. Tony VentimigliaProgram Director's Name: Dr. Francesca Adler-BaederAddress: 263 Spidle Hall, Auburn, AL 36849Contact Phone Numbers: Voice: 334-844-3227 Fax: 334-844-8709E-Mail Address: francesca@auburn.eduThe Alabama Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education (AHMRE) project is a long-standing, large-scale partnership between Auburn University serving Lee/Macon county and five additional implementation partners at Family Resource Centers across Alabama (Talladega, Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, Etowah, and Jefferson counties), as well as local referral partners that include: domestic violence prevention, school systems, and Head Start centers. We are proposing the continued implementation of marriage and relationship education services (MRES) activities that respond to family needs and promote healthy, stable marriages and relationships for low-resource couples ages 19 and older. Our needs in Alabama are widespread; our citizens face considerable challenges related to high rates of relational and family instability and economic strain. As citizens and professionals in a limited-resource state, we are highly motivated to continue to play a role in improving the quality of life in our State.Our plan for PY2 is the continuation of activities and program implementation methods currently in place and approved in our original proposal. Our plan includes public advertising activities focused solely on recruiting participants into our HMRE program. In PY2 we will provide a primary workshop for 12 hours (12 PWHs). We will enroll a total of 565 couples (375 couples will be part of the startup phase, and 190 will be part of the impact study) and complete 450 couples in the 12-hour primary workshop featuring the evidence-based and skills-based ELEVATE curriculum.
Support services, such as childcare, meals, and transportation will be available as needed to remove barriers to HMRE program participation. While programs will be available for all interested citizens near our implementation sites, we will continue to use recruitment methods that better ensure participation by lower-resource and underserved populations. In addition, our program model combines the primary program workshop with additional services that identify and link couples with available community resources and programs. Our plan includes public advertising activities focused solely on recruiting participants into our HMRE program. Our planned evaluation activities also include conducting uniform performance measurement and continuous quality improvement assessments to monitor performance using nFORM. During Y2, efforts for our local impact evaluation that uses random assignment and tests the relative impact of two program model conditions (monthly and weekly) will focus on demonstrating our capacity to enroll a sufficient sample size during the startup period. Subsequently, our efforts will focus on the implementation beginning in April 2022 of the approved design for the local impact study. We are seeking $1,496,473.00 to support the planned activities for Year 2 of the AHMRE FRAMEWorks project to continue to play a part in the positive trends that are turning the tide on marital and family instability and ensuring stronger families and communities in Alabama. We expect our efforts also will contribute information to the FRAMEWorks community of grantees and the larger HMRE field.