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JFCS of the Suncoast Presenting at National and International Conferences on Healthy Marriage & Responsible Fatherhood Jewish Family & Children's Service (JFCS) of the Suncoast will present at the 2024 National Conference on Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) July 15-18, 2024, in Washington, D.C. They have also been selected to present at the 2024 International HMRF Conference, to be held in Atlanta next month. Contact Name: Trisha Kauffman Contact Email: tkauffman@jfcs-cares.org Contact Phone Number: 9412265667 Jewish Family & Children’s Service (JFCS) of the Suncoast will present at the 2024 National Conference on Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) July 15-18, 2024, in Washington, D.C. They have also been selected to present at the 2024 International HMRF Conference, to be held in Atlanta next month. Federal Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) programs provide $150 million nationwide in competitive grants, contracts, research and evaluation, and other activities to strengthen families, promote responsible parenting, and improve family economic stability. JFCS operates two HMRF-supported programs in Sarasota and Manatee Counties. The Restoring Empowerment & Choosing Hope (REACH) program provides parenting education, financial literacy and other skill building workshops for parents, primarily single mothers. The Ignite program helps fathers create and maintain strong relationships with their children and work toward self-reliance. At the conferences, JFCS staff will present the work they have done with local community partners to bring the programs to families in lower income areas, such as Newtown. Community partners include schools, community centers, churches/synagogues, and other organizations that serve families with children. At these community events, REACH and Ignite use family-themed games to engage parents and children, followed by dinner and a short debrief centered on what they have learned while playing and interacting in the game. Afterwards, parents are encouraged to enroll in the program to continue their learning journey. REACH and Ignite also serve a large Latinx population, assisted by bilingual JFCS staff. "We are thrilled for our Ignite and REACH teams to present at both the national and international conferences on Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood this summer," said Helene Lotman, President/CEO of JFCS of the Suncoast. "JFCS staff have worked diligently to reach all populations in Sarasota-Manatee, and this honor recognizes the great work we’re doing in the community to help families develop healthy relationships, learn effective parenting skills and achieve self-reliance.”