Family Expectations

Family Expectations provides Oklahoma couples the opportunity to participate in a comprehensive, couple-based intervention with the goal of strengthening their relationship in order to provide the best possible environment in which to raise a child. The core of the program is an intense workshop schedule that the couple attends together. FE recruits couples from a number of different sources and relies on community relations and partnerships for referrals to the program. Couples are screened for eligibility during the intake process and upon acceptance into the program are assigned a Family Support Coordinator. Each couple meets with their Family Support Coordinator in one-on-one sessions to reinforce the curriculum and address other family needs through community referrals. Family Expectations also offers program supports and incentives to increase retention and help couples reach their service goals.

Workshops

The core curriculum for FE is the Becoming Parents Program (BPP), a research-based relationship education curriculum with a strong Prevention and Relationship Education Program (PREP®) component, which lends a solid research foundation to the adaptation. BPP workshop topics and core lessons include:

Couples also have access to extended activities including gender-specific support groups, baby care, child development, finances and anger and stress management.
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Community Relations and Intake

Family Expectations’ comprehensive referral network and referral tracking system has completed more than 4,500 intakes and more than 11,000 referrals over the past five years (as of July 2011). Recruiting is the primary task of the Community Relations and Intake Specialists (CRIS). Recruitment and referrals come from a number of different sources, such as:

• Word-of-mouth
• Partnerships with prenatal medical providers
• Outreach to social services
• Advertising in local children and family publications
• Distributing recruitment materials at maternity and baby retail establishments
• Childbirth classes

All written informational materials are available in Spanish and English.

After a couple is referred to the FE program, they schedule an office visit to complete the intake and enrollment process. Enrollment is completed by an Intake Specialist and entails determining if the couple is eligible, administering FE’s Domestic Violence screening tool, providing a tour of the facility, and explaining of all program components in detail.
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Family Support Coordinator

Each program couple is assigned a Family Support Coordinator (FSC) who serves as a personal coach, reinforces curriculum concepts during in-person office visits and establishes a family goal plan. FSCs also link couples to resources based on identified needs, ranging from substance abuse treatment to assistance with short-term financial challenges. The one-on-one relationship between the couple and the FSC is essential to program participation and the improvement, enhancement and development of the couple’s relationship.
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Program Supports and Incentives

Many couples face challenges with ongoing participation in a lengthy program. FE addresses this challenge by building in program supports and incentives to decrease barriers to participation, increase retention and improve program outcomes. Program supports are offered on an as-needed basis to families who require additional assistance to participate in the program. These may include gasoline vouchers, taxi cab vouchers, and childcare assistance. Program incentives are provided to couples when they reach important program milestones, such as attending workshop sessions or meeting office visit goals. Couples can earn “crib cash” to be spent in the on-site FE store, “The Crib.” Couples use their crib card to purchase new items such as diapers, high chairs, bottles and many other items for their baby. Many participant couples do not have access — through personal means or other benefit programs — to new items for their baby, so this program component is often very meaningful to families.
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Funding for this project was provided by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Grant: 90FM0026. Any opinions, findings , and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.