Thread: Program aims to aid Hispanic marriages-Bush Family Values

Program aims to aid Hispanic marriages
By Gustavo Reveles Acosta / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 02/10/2007 12:00:00 AM MST

Oscar and Rosa Orona of El Paso are taking part in a program to improve marriages and parenting for Hispanic couples. The program will create a model for use nationwide. (Rudy Gutierrez / El Paso Times)
Hispanic couples in El Paso willing to go through a yearlong program aimed at strengthening marriages could help develop a government-backed curriculum that parents throughout the United States could use.

The El Paso Center for Children's Healthy Marriage Initiative is one of just a handful of programs throughout the country looking at strategies that could help couples stay together in happy marriages.

The El Paso program is being closely monitored for the techniques that could specifically help Hispanic couples.

"El Paso could have a great effect throughout the country," said Renee Neuert, a spokeswoman with the children's center. "The curriculum and information that comes out of El Paso could very well be used throughout the country."

The initiative will take about 125 couples through classes, seminars and workshops designed to teach them how to be better partners and better parents.

Couples, who are married either traditionally or by common law, will go through four months of weekly classes and regular check-ins for eight months after that.

Leonard Giron, the family support director for the initiative, said the courses will deal with topics such as conflict resolution, communication, anger management and family economics.

"The point of this program is intervention and prevention," he said. "We don't want to wait until a family situation is so severe that it can't be fixed."

Giron added that the program is not for couples with troubled marriages. The program hopes to attract people who feel they want to learn tools to help them strengthen their relationship.

"This is not therapy or counseling," he said. "This is a class on how to become a better family."

The program needs Hispanic couples, with children, who are interested in participating.

The classes are free, and because the starting dates for several of the workshops are staggered, officials are willing to work with couples who have difficult schedules.

The children's center will provide child care for participating families, and many of the meetings will include a meal.

"I think it's a fabulous idea. It will help me and my husband create a better marriage," said Rosa Orona, a Central El Paso mother of three who, along with her husband. started the program last week. "Men and women see the world differently, and we all could use some help in becoming better partners."

Neuert said that starting this fall, the information from El Paso and seven other cities involved in the program will be gathered to develop a national curriculum that could be used at centers throughout the nation.

Officials said they hope that through the improvement of marriages, they can prevent some of the destructive behavior children in the United States may experience.

"We have found that children of divorced parents have higher rates of drug use, teen pregnancy and dropping out," Neuert said.

"The focus of this program is prevention at its early stage: the creation of strong families through solid marriages."

http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_5199614

"The focus of this program is prevention at its early stage: the creation of strong families through solid marriages."

Even if they're not married.

Of course, not being married is one of the best ways to get all those government freebies, and allows the mother to live with the father of the week without fear of losing her welfare benefits.

This program is targeted only towards Hipanics. Is this not discriminatory? Could there be a program targeted towards only Caucasians? And where is the funding for this coming from? This is a pilot program that will lead to a federal program? I don't think I want my tax dollars going to a program that only serves only one particular ethnic or racial group.

Originally Posted by noyoucannot

This program is targeted only towards Hipanics. Is this not discriminatory? Could there be a program targeted towards only Caucasians? And where is the funding for this coming from? This is a pilot program that will lead to a federal program? I don't think I want my tax dollars going to a program that only serves only one particular ethnic or racial group.

[/b]MORE OF OUR TAX$$$$$$$ AT WORK!! WHERE IS OUR FENCE!!!!!!!