Strong Couples…Strong Children

Workshop Agenda

June 10, 2004

For more information and registration, please click here.

Registration 8:30 – 9:00

Orientation to Low-Income Couples Issues 9:00 – 10:15

JoAnn Lamm, Section Chief of Family Support and Child Welfare Services, NC Division of Social Services– Introduction and NC perspective on low-income couples

Bridget Minor, Family Life and Marriage Program Specialist, Administration for Children and Families, Region IV – Washington and national perspective on marriage and family initiatives

Dennis Orthner, Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – Couples’ research & Fragile Families update

Anne Jones, Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – NC findings from couple interviews and the story of one couple from NC

Break 10:15 – 10:30

Strategies to Strengthen Couples and Co-Parenting 10:30 – 12:00

Robin Dion, Program Director, Mathematica Policy Research – The Building Strong Families national model

Dennis Orthner – Extending Building Strong Families to North Carolina

Susan Finlaw-Dusseault - Healthy Families, Pinellas, FL – A Healthy Families low-income couples program that works!

Networking Lunch 12:00 – 1:00

Suggested program area lunch groups: children’s services, community services, health care/public health, employment/financial, family services, mental health, parenting and fatherhood, public welfare

Panel on Successful Couple Program Components 1:00 – 2:30

Strengthening Couples and Marriage - Yoshi Nagaishi, Family Services, Winston-Salem

Co-Parenting – Cindy Dorman, Director, Family Life Council of Greensboro

Employment – Tyrone Everett, Director, Center for Employment Training, Durham

Financial Management – Ann Hamilton, Director, Forsyth County Social Services

Fathering – Alvin Borders, Education Coordinator, Winston-Salem Urban League

Family Coordination – Darrell Renfroe, Orange County Department of Health

New Parent Support – Robin Britt, Director, United Child Development Services

Break  2:30 – 2:45

Lessons Learned and Key Questions 2:45 – 3:30

Discussion panelists - Robin Dion, Mathematica Policy Research

   Susan Finlaw-Dusseault, Healthy Families, Clearwater, FL

   JoAnn Lamm, NC Division of Social Services

   Bridget Minor, Community Healthy Marriage Initiative, ACF, Region IV

   Dennis Orthner, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Funding Couples’ Programs 3:30 – 4:00

Federal government support – Bridget Minor and Robin Dion

NC government support – JoAnn Lamm, NC Division of Social Services

Foundations support – McCray Benson, Foundation for the Carolinas