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Publications
Healthy Couple and Marital Relationships
The future health and stability of families and prosperity of communities can be strongly influenced by the health and stability of marriages. Furthermore, the welfare of Georgia’s children can be greatly enhanced by the development of healthy relationship skills of their parents that result in healthy and stable families. Cooperative Extension is working in collaboration with community and state partners to offer programs and resources to help individuals and couples develop the skills needed to form and sustain healthy relationships.
Programs
Preparing Engaged Couples for Marriage
Estimates suggest that each year in Georgia, one couple files for divorce for every two couples who get married. Couples who participate in premarital counseling or educational programs and use the skills they learn tend to feel more satisfied in marriage and are at lower risk for divorce. Also, Georgia couples who receive at least 6 hours of premarital counseling or educational services before filing for their marriage license can receive a $35.00 discount on their marriage license fee. UGA Cooperative Extension is beginning to provide such programs in select counties across Georgia. Click here to learn more.
Building Healthy Teen Relationships 
Relationship education is developmentally relevant and timely for youth because they are just beginning to have and understand romantic relationships. While some youth may have witnessed and learned about positive couple interactions from good models, many may have witnessed only poor models of couple relationships. Research has shown that educational programs on healthy relationships and marriages can help youth develop positive communication and conflict-management skills and reduce their risk for intimate partner violence and teen pregnancy. The decision-making and relationship-building skills youth can learn through this programming can also spill-over into other relationships (e.g., parent-child, teacher, peer, co-worker) as well. UGA Cooperative Extension Agents in various counties across Georgia are trained to provide Relationship Smarts, a research-based curriculum that incorporates hands-on activities to focus on skills and knowledge necessary for healthy dating relationships. Click here to learn more.
Related Links
Stepfamily Education
Nearly half of all marriages consist of a remarriage for one or both partners. It is estimated that one in three children will spend time in a stepfamily-like household. The research is clear that stepfamilies experience unique family developmental patterns and face unique issues that are related to healthy marital and family functioning. Healthy couple and stepfamily functioning requires negotiating clear roles and rules, forming realistic expectations, strengthening the stepparenting-stepchild relationship, and navigating relationships with children’s other parent(s).
Programs
Smart Steps for Stepfamilies
Smart Steps is a research-based program that recognizes the complexities and the interdependent nature of relationships within stepfamilies. This comprehensive and interactive educational program is for couples in stepfamilies and their children. Each class focuses on the unique issues that stepcouples and stepfamilies face and the knowledge and skills that build relationship and family strength. Cooperative Extension Agents in various counties across Georgia are trained to provide Smart Step workshops – find a trained agent near you. Click here to learn more or
contact your county agent for more information
Related Links
Parenting Education
Whether you are a parent or an adult caregiver, responding to the changing needs of children from infancy through adolescents (and into adulthood) is no easy task. FACS Extension agents in many counties across Georgia provide parenting education programs to help parents deal with the specific issues and challenges of caring for and raising infants, toddlers, preschoolers school-agers and adolescents. FACS Agents in some counties also provide parenting education specifically targeted for teen parents and grandparents raising grandchildren. Contact your local Extension agent for more information about parenting education programs in your county. Also, visit our various publications on parenting and child development.
Related Links for Parents of Infants and Young Children
Related Links for Parents of School-Age Children and Adolescents
Family Caregiving
Caregiving is a lifelong function of families, although the types of caregiving change as family members age. Caregiving education can prepare family members to meet the challenges of caregiving for all family members.
Programs
Powerful Tools for Caregivers
The Powerful Tools for Caregivers (PTC) program is 6-session program designed to provide family caregivers with the tools to enhance their self-care and confidence. The course has resulted in positive impacts on caregiver health for diverse caregivers. Course topics include the importance of self-care in order to remain an effective caregivers, stress management, communication skills, and caregiving decision-making.
Related Links
Senior Driving Issues
Independence in their daily lives is important to most seniors. In many communities without public transportation, the ability to drive safely is critical to that independence. Extension programs provide the skills for seniors to understand safer driving practices and the decision-making processes for seniors and their caregivers to use as abilities change.
Programs
CarFit® for Seniors
The CarFit program is a national collaboration to help ensure that senior drivers understand and make adjustments in their vehicles to adapt to the seniors’ own changing physical abilities. The UGA Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute leads the Georgia collaboration to provide local events that offer assessments of driving health.
Related Links
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Adult and Family Development
