> Smart Marriages ®

> American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy

> National Council on Family Relations

> Oklahoma Marriage Initiative

 

The Oklahoma Marriage Initiative is a statewide public/private partnership dedicated to strengthening families and helping couples who choose marriage for themselves gain access to services and supports to help them build and sustain healthy marriages. In conversations with national marriage experts, representatives of the Marriage Initiative have learned that the area of least success for many marriage movements in other parts of the country has been within government arenas. Early in the development of the OMI, Cooperative Extension became involved with the effort and has trained 37 educators to date to deliver marriage and relationship education services through a variety of venues statewide. In light of the kinds of services provided by OCES and the positioning of educators in approximately 40 of 77 counties, the staff has been able to effectively add needed relationship services and/or incorporate marital education skills to the work they are already doing with families. Please visit the OMI website for more information about the Initiative, its partnerships with other state agencies and community groups and available services throughout the state.