The Couples and Relationship Enrichment Laboratory, or CARE Lab, studies and promotes healthy couple relationships across diverse populations. We create, implement and evaluate research-informed programs that support individuals and couples in developing and sustaining healthy relationships.
Research & Evaluation Projects
Family, Relationship, and Marriage Education Works (FRAMEWorks) Project (ELEVATE)
Funded by a $6.2 million, five-year (2020-2025) grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide and evaluate a relationship education program, Elevate, to couples across Georgia.
Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education (HMRE) Project (Project F.R.E.E.)
Funded by a $8.2 million, five-year (2015-2020) federal grant, we worked with a multi-disciplinary team of UGA faculty and community partners to improve the lives of nearly 1,400 families in the child welfare system across Northeast Georgia.
Healthy Couples, Healthy Families
What beliefs and practices promote healthy couple relationships? Our research explores this question in order to inform relationship and marriage education. Also, we are studying the impact of relationship and marriage education on couple functioning and quality.
Helping Youth Develop Relationship Smarts
Parents and educators play an important role in promoting positive youth development. Our research focuses on studying the impact parents and educational programs make on adolescents’ beliefs about romantic relationships and engagement in safe and healthy behaviors.
Integrating Relationship Education into Child Welfare Services
Professionals who work with youth and adults in the child welfare system are interested in relationship and marriage education (RME) training. Our research is showing that those who complete RME training are sharing this information with clients in an effort to strengthen couple relationships and create stable and safe homes for children.
C.A.R.E. for Foster Parents
What are the unique couple and co-parenting relationship experiences of foster parents? How does their relationship influence the quality of care they provide to foster youth? What impact will a new relationship education program, ELEVATE, have on foster parents’ couple relationship quality and capacity to meet the needs of the foster youth they care for? Our research will be addressing these questions.
From Research to Practice
Strengthening Couple Relationships in Georgia
UGA Cooperative Extension offers programs and resources to help individuals and couples develop the skills needed to form and sustain healthy relationships.
Making a National Impact on Relationship Education
We work in collaboration with Extension Specialist and other professionals across the nation to develop resources and inform best practices to support relationship and marriage education.