Marriage for Keeps exists to serve married couples in an effort to strengthen marriages and create positive outcomes for parents and child. It is an educational program. This is not counseling or therapy. Marriage for Keeps provides classes and other services that help couples learn skills and tools to strengthen the marriage. It is a non-faith based program.  This program is for all types of marriages – stable, healthy marriages as well as marriages that are experiencing distress, all can benefit. Read our latest newsletter here.

Classes

Marriage for Keeps provides 10 weeks of marriage education classes covering topics such as communication, problem solving, stress management, and commitment to name a few. These classes meet one a week. We provide the meal or snacks, and the materials. A total of $50 in gift cards will be given. There is no cost to the couple. Please call 620-272-0010 to participate in one of the following upcoming classes:

• Dodge City, Kansas (English) - 5:00 p.m. on Tuesdays (Feb 2, 9, 16, 23, March 2, 9, 23, 30, April 6, and 13) in the Student Center Board Room (second floor) at Dodge City Community College.


• Dodge City, Kansas (Spanish) - 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays (Feb 6, 13, 20, 27, March 6, 13, 20, 27, April 3, and 10) at White Tiger Martial Arts Academy, 1902 West Wyatt Earp Blvd.


• Liberal, Kansas (English) - This weekend retreat at St Anthony of Padua Parish, 1510 N Calhoun, begins at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 5th, and lasts until 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 7th.


• Garden City (Spanish) - Coming in April 2010.

Family Support Specialist

The family specialist provides assistance for couples that would like additional help with understanding and implementing skills and concepts covered in class. The family specialist is in contact a minimum of one a week outside of class with the couples, while they are attending class. She also is able to refer the couple or a spouse to other services that may be needed, such as drug and alcohol services, or marital counseling. She can help complete paperwork for benefits or locate other resources that the couple may need. There is no cost to the couple.

Other Activities

This is a once a month activity for couples. The activities may cover new materials or review topics that were covered in class. Material could include money management, step families, 10 Great Dates, and other topics that would be of interest to couples. There is no cost to the couple. For more information about participating in the following courses, call 620-272-0010.

• You Paid How Much for That?! How to win at Money without Losing at Love

This five-series class reveals sound principles of money management and provides practical tools to conquer money problems in your relationship.

Date: January 7, February 4, March 4, and April 1st.  Each workshop on the first Thursday of the month is stand-alone class. Come to the whole series, or just one class; you are sure to find some tips that you can use.

Time: 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Place: Catholic Social Service Office, 603 N. 8th, Garden City, KS

• Guiding Good Choices: A Series of Parenting Classes

This free, five-session program teaches parents how to strengthen their bonds with their children and reduce the risk that their children will use drugs.

Date: Every Tuesday for five weeks beginning January 12, 2010

Time: 6 to 8:00 p.m. - Evening Meal is Provided.

Place: Garden City Community College.

• Long Live Healthy Families (in Spanish)

This forth coming class will teach couples how to have a healthy relationship and family.

Marriage for Keeps also offers Enrich www.prepare-enrich.com an assessment "that identifies a couple's strength and growth area.  There are several goals of the PREPARE/ENRICH Program.  In order to achieve these goals there are exercises designed to help couples improve their relationship skills.

Research Shows

-A healthy marriage is the best foundation for raising children

-Strong marriages contribute to a healthy, stable, satisfying life.

- Healthy marriages and family formation reduce poverty, child abuse and neglect, prevent costly social service interventions, and increase job stability.

-Strong marriages are a major factor in raising healthy successful children.

-Marriage is associated with better physical health, greater financial security, and more contentment in life.

-"couples who participate in marriage education/enrichment programs have better communication skills, higher levels of marital satisfaction, better parenting skills, and increased stability than couples who do not particiapte." (Webb, 2008)

What Couples are Saying about Marriage for Keeps

"We're learning ways to have fun with each other."

"The skills are transferable to our kids."

"We enjoyed attending each session because it taught us about how we communicated and gave us the skills to immediately improve our lives."

"It helped us create a more positive and loving atmosphere in our home."

"In today's world it is hard to slow down from daily life and commit to a program like this, but it has been, by far, the best investment we have made in our relationship."

Marriage for Keeps / Catholic Social Service

603 N. 8th

Garden City, KS  67846

620-272-0010 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Funding for this project was provided by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Grant 90FE0112.  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.