This fact sheet explains the reasons married couples sometimes have difficulty communicating, urges couples to realize that a positive attitude and a win-win mentality will help, and recommends couples take a break from a discussion if communication becomes too difficult. Ground rules for communicating a message are then discussed and include: pick the right time, […]
In recent decades, there has been a widening gap between higher rates of marital instability for economically disadvantaged couples and lower rates for nondisadvantaged couples. In addition, out-of-wedlock birth rates have risen, while evidence has grown that children fare better, on average, when raised by both of their parents in stable low-conflict households. All of […]
This research brief describes rates of health care coverage for married- and single-parent families with children under age 18, a key target population of both marriage and health care coverage initiatives. Drawing on nationally representative data from the Current Population Survey (CPS), the brief reports differences in rates of health care coverage by marital status […]
New parents make a lot of preparations when a baby is on the way. Some of the things couples have to consider are where the baby will sleep and who will stay home with the baby. With these and other preparations, many couples don't prepare for the change that the baby will have on their […]
In 1999, Oklahoma began to consider how state government might play a role in strengthening families and marriages. To achieve their goals, the governor and key leaders first sought support for a statewide marriage initiative. In the first few years of the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative (OMI) various strategies were tested; some worked as anticipated and […]
Existing evidence suggests that many married couples in the U.S. are managing stepfamily relationships. Empirical studies of stepfamily dynamics highlight the unique factors inherent in stepfamily marriages that impact their quality and stability, most notably the complexity of multiple relationships that exist at the onset of the marriage. Additional research on low-income populations suggests that […]
The Welfare Peer TA Network sponsored a multi-State TA event on July 15-16, 2003, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This event was co-coordinated with Public Strategies, the public relations firm that manages the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative. The Administration for Children and Families’ Region VI, VII and IX Offices provided additional support, ensuring this event met State […]
The decline in marriage and its serious consequences for poverty and inequality are well documented. This paper concentrates on how marriage, cohabitation, single parenthood and the presence of biological parents affect the incomes and material hardships of children. The study uses data from the National Survey of America’s Families to examine: 1) recent changes in […]
This paper examines the effect of marital and family status on the experience of material hardship, using data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). Among the key indicators of hardship are the ability to meet essential expenses, housing conditions, neighborhood problems (including crime, schools, public services), and having enough resources to buy […]
This paper examines the dynamics of marriage and family patterns and their relationship to living standards of a recent cohort of mothers. It is not obvious that married mothers should perform economically better than mothers in cohabitingrelationships or single mothers living with at least one other adult. But marriage is likely to raise living standards […]