This information packet on national and State marriage initiatives begins by discussing the growing trend towards marriage promotion in light of substantial research that has emerged supporting the link between marriage and poverty reduction, as well as other measures of child well being. A literature review highlights findings on the benefits of marriage and the […]
Federal policies are encouraging states to strengthen marital relationships among low income populations as a strategy for improving child well being. Conducted to inform the design of marriage programs, this study examined the environment, setting, interventions, and client characteristics of existing services for couples. Twenty-eight visits were made to public health agencies, mental health programs, […]
In response to the congressional mandate to promote two-parent families and marriage specified in the 1996 welfare reform legislation, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services embarked on an initiative to encourage healthy marriage in the broad population and especially within low-income groups. To support further […]
The Building Strong Families (BSF) project aims to foster the development of programs designed to enhance children's well being by helping new, unmarried parents build stronger relationships and achieve a healthy marriage if they so choose. The motivation and design of BSF programs draw heavily on findings about unmarried parents from the Fragile Families and […]