RELATIONSHIP EDUCATION FOR STEPCOUPLES REPORTING RELATIONSHIP INSTABILITY— EVALUATION OF THE SMART STEPS: EMBRACE THE JOURNEY CURRICULUM Mallory Lucier-Greer Florida State University Francesca Adler-Baeder, Kate Taylor Harcourt, and Kimberly D. Gregson Auburn University Smart Steps: Embrace the Journey is a research-based educational curriculum for stepfam- ily couples (“stepcouples”). The curriculum is designed to build couple strengths while addressing the unique challenges of repartnering with a child or children from a previous relationship. This study evaluated the effectiveness of this curriculum with 151 individuals in relationally less stable stepcouple relationships who either engaged in the Smart Steps cur- riculum (n = 97) or were part of the comparison group (n = 54). This study represents methodological and conceptual advances in the study of stepfamily programs with the use of a comparison group, a racially and economically diverse sample, and a relationally at-risk population. Results indicated that those who participated in Smart Steps reported significant increases in individual empowerment, couple quality, family harmony, and parenting efficacy while these measures were unchanged for those who did not receive the program. Implica- tions for future research and for practitioners are provided. Research continually suggests that stepfamilies are more complex and at higher risk for dissolution than first families (Adler-Baeder, Robertson, & Schramm, 2010a,b; Higginbotham & Adler-Baeder, 2008; Skogrand, Davis, & Higginbotham, 2011; Sweeney, 2010). Unlike most first families, relationship development within stepfamilies does not occur in sequence. This means that the couple relationship is initiated and established at the same time that relationships with children and relationships between siblings are being forged, and relationships with former partners are navigated (Ganong & Coleman, 2004; Higginbotham & Adler-Baeder, 2008). Given these and other differences (e.g., varying levels of biological relatedness among family members, lack of norms regarding roles and rules), there is a growing understanding among practitioners and researchers that the challenges faced by stepfamily couples (“stepcouples”) are distinct from those faced by couples in first marriages, and therefore programs targeting stepfamilies should be specialized to address these unique needs (Adler-Baeder & Higginbotham, 2004; Adler-Baeder, Robertson, et al., 2010b; Skogrand, Davis, et al., 2011; Whitton, Nicholson, & Markman, 2008). Given the potential for challenges in stepfamilies, scholars and practitioners suggest the use of preventative measures such as educational programs to preemptively address family challenges and transitions (Michaels, 2000; Pasley & Garneau, 2012). Educational programs have been effective for a broad population of stepcouples (e.g., Lucier-Greer & Adler-Baeder, Mallory Lucier-Greer, PhD, LMFT, Department of Family and Child Sciences, Florida State University; Francesca Adler-Baeder, PhD, CFLE, Kate Taylor Harcourt, MS, CFLE, and Kimberly D. Gregson, MS, LMFT, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University. This study was supported in part through a grant from the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (90FE0001). Any opinions, findings, 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. Address correspondence to Mallory Lucier-Greer, Department of Family and Child Sciences, Florida State University, 120 Convocation Way, Sandals Building, Tallahassee, Florida 32306; E-mail: mluciergreer@fsu.edu 454 JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY October 2014 Journal of Marital and Family Therapy doi: 10.1111/jmft.12069 October 2014, Vol. 40, No. 4, 454–469